New rules introduced for recreational abalone fishers

13/1/03
Major changes to recreational abalone fishing rules will protect vulnerable west and south coast stocks.
The changes, to apply from July 1, follow widespread concerns over abalone poaching outside the tightly controlled Perth Metropolitan fishery.
Fisheries Minister Kim Chance said these activities were a threat to the sustainability of both the recreational and commercial fishery.
The changes introduce an 'in home' possession limit, reduce the daily bag limit for greenlip and brownlip abalone, create three new fishing zones and limit the season on the south coast and west coast outside the metropolitan area.
The new 'in home' possession limit will prevent the accumulation of excessive quantities of abalone by unscrupulous fishers, possibly for commercial purposes.
The 'in home' possession limit for Roe's abalone will be 80 per person and 20 per person for greenlip and brownlip.
While the possession limit outside a licence holder's place of residence of 10 brownlip and greenlip abalone (combined) will remain in place, the daily bag limits on greenlip and brownlip abalone have been tightened to five per licence holder.
The three newly created fishing zones and seasons will be:

• South Australian border to Busselton jetty with a season from October 1 to May 15;

• Busselton jetty to the mouth of the Greenough River, the season to be the same as the existing metropolitan season, ie: six consecutive Sundays starting on the first Sunday in November, with fishing only permitted between 7am and 8.30am; and

• the mouth of the Greenough River to the Northern Territory Border with a season from October 1 to May 15.

For the northern and the southern zones this will provide abalone fishing opportunities during the peak spring, summer and Easter holiday periods. Fishing in these two zones will be permitted at any time of day during the season.
"The new regulations will help manage the growth in fishing activity outside the Perth metropolitan area and make illegal unlicensed commercial fishing much more difficult," Mr Chance said.
Surveys of fishers seeking abalone outside the Perth metropolitan fishery indicate that they made about 28,000 fishing trips in 2001 and took more than 300,000 Roe's abalone (28 tonnes), and 110,000 greenlip and brownlip abalone (65 tonnes).
Catch surveys indicate that the recreational sector takes a significant proportion of the total catch, at about 20 per cent of the greenlip and brownlip catch and 40 per cent of the Roe's abalone catch.
"The commercial fishery is tightly regulated under a management plan which limits the number of operators, the total allowable catch in eight fishery zones and sets strict quotas for each operator," Mr Chance said.
"They will also establish a framework within which recreational fisheries can be integrated with the management of the commercial abalone fishery and provide a foundation for future resource allocation under integrated fisheries management."
Minister's Office - 9213 6700