Within the WCZ, abalone fishing is only permitted from Busselton Jetty to Moore River and no recreational abalone fishing is allowed north of Moore River to the Northen Territory Border until further notice.
The fishing sessions each season are always held on Saturdays and that enables Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) to maximise its resources, so that lifesavers can monitor the abalone fishers in many of the popular fishing locations along the Perth metropolitan coast.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fisheries Management Officer Druimé Nolan said SLSWA provided a highly important service.
“The role of SLSWA along with the efforts of their many volunteers so early in the morning is much appreciated and we thank them for their continued commitment to keeping beachgoers as safe as possible,” Ms Nolan said.
“We also thank licence-holders for fishing responsibly and safely, so far in this season.
“Fishers always need to ensure they have sufficient water safety skills to manage the ocean conditions on the day. It is also essential that participants have suitable clothing and correct gear for abalone fishing.”
“If unsafe conditions are forecast and where a decision has been made to cancel the Saturday 9 March fishing session due to a safety risk, we will notify abalone licence holders on Wednesday 6 March.”
Fisheries and Marine Officers from DPIRD will be at abalone fishing locations along the coast on 9 March to ensure fishing rules are being followed. The Fisheries Education team will also attend some locations to provide fishers with information.
DPIRD researchers and volunteers will also be there to help count catches as part of the usual assessment to ensure this unique fishery remains sustainable. The in-season catch estimate for the first three fishing days of the 2023/24 season has shown that the catch level is within the recreational abalone fishing catch allocation.
The abalone fishing rules are available online at rec_licence_abalone.pdf (fish.wa.gov.au) or at Abalone, Roe's - Western Australian recreational fishing rules.
We urge anyone heading to WA’s beaches at any time to switch on their Sea Sense, check www.sharksmart.com.au, or download the SharkSmart WA app, where you can see the latest shark activity, as well as beach safety features such as SLSWA patrolled beaches and weather forecasts, to help people plan their trips to the ocean.
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