- Fishing for southern garfish off Perth coast to
resume from Friday, 1 March
- Reduced
fishing pressure over the seven-year closure has helped stocks recover
Perth's recreational fishers will soon be back in action to catch southern
garfish from Lancelin to Myalup, with stocks recovering to sustainable limits.
The current abundance of the species will enable the 2017 closure to be
lifted and fishing for 'gardies' can resume along the metro coast from Friday,
March 1.
A combination of fishing and environmental pressures led to the need to
introduce a closure back in 2017. With this recovery, we are able to resume
fishing with recreational catches to be monitored through the recreational Statewide
survey and the Metropolitan Monitoring Program.
Southern garfish is part of the Statewide mixed species bag limit of 30
per person per day.
Other species in the mixed species bag limit are finfish like whiting, mullet,
blue mackerel, western butterfish, yellowtail scad, western striped grunter, banded
sweep and other species not specifically listed, excluding baitfish and feral
freshwater species.
Recreational fishers can also help the fishery research effort to monitor
the ongoing health of the species by donating southern garfish fish frames
through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD's)
Send us your skeletons program.
Commercial fishing of garfish will also resume which will be subject to
catch limits and fishers will provide information and biological samples to
support sustainability of southern garfish into the future.
Comments attributed to Fisheries Minister Don Punch:
"This is great news for recreational fishers who've not been able to fish
for southern garfish in metropolitan waters for seven years while the fishery
was managed to allow stock recovery.
"This is a really
encouraging result and demonstrates the importance and success of taking action
to rebuild our fisheries to sustainable levels.
"Fishing for southern garfish will provide a highly accessible
recreational fishing opportunity, with the species being well suited to both
land and boat-based fishing, so I am sure fishers will be pleased to target
this species again.
"DPIRD has a proven record in the recovery of fish stocks as seen
in the herring fishery, and now in helping southern garfish rebound.
