New safety measures and rules for recreational abalone season

31/10/03
Recreational abalone fishers have been advised to take every safety precaution when the Perth Metropolitan and West Coast season starts this Sunday.
Fisheries Minister Kim Chance also urged fishers to make sure they were familiar with the new rules, which were announced in January and came into force on October 1.
Mr Chance stressed that people should take care when fishing for abalone and announced that, this year, surf lifesavers would patrol some areas.
"In the interests of helping to ensure public safety, the Department of Fisheries has provided a $3,000 grant to the Scarboro and Trigg Island Surf Lifesaving clubs," he said.
"This will enable the clubs to conduct patrols between Trigg and Marmion during the nine hours of the Zone 1 (West Coast) season.
"The lifesavers, who will be easily identifiable in their red and yellow uniforms, will encourage fishers to take care and be aware of surf conditions."
Mr Chance said collecting abalone was a popular activity that required careful management because abalone were highly vulnerable to overfishing.
"The rule changes, including the introduction of an in-house possession limit, followed widespread concerns over poaching outside the tightly controlled Perth Metropolitan fishery," he said.
"These illegal activities are a threat to the sustainability of both the recreational and commercial fishery and must be stamped out.
"The Fisheries Department has adjusted its rules, based on sound scientific surveys by its Marine Research Division, to help keep abalone stocks in good condition."
A two-year closure at Cottesloe reef, south of the main Cottesloe groyne to Rous Head, is due to environmental factors that led to depleted abalone stocks.
"All fishers who would like to fish for abalone in future should heed the closure so abalone stocks can recover," Mr Chance said.
Sanctuary zones, including the newly declared Jurien Bay Marine Park, are all closed to abalone fishing. For further information on these zones, contact the Department of Conservation and Land Management.
Details of the rule changes can be found at http://www.fish.wa.gov.au
BACKGROUND
There are now three zones in the abalone fishery:

• Zone 1 (West Coast) from Busselton Jetty to Greenough River mouth, open six consecutive Sundays only, beginning November 2 between 7.00am and 8.30am.
• Zone 2 (Northern) Greenough River mouth to NT border, open all day every day October 1 to May 15.
• Zone 3 (Southern) Busselton Jetty to SA border, open all day every day October 1 to May 15.

• For greenlip and brownlip abalone - a daily combined bag limit of five (5) per fisher, and a boat limit twice the daily bag limit (combined bag of 10) where there are two or more fishers.
• Maximum number of abalone that a person may have at their place of residence is 20 combined greenlip and brownlip abalone and 80 Roe's abalone.

• Daily bag limit of 20 for Roe's abalone per fisher, and there is no boat limit.
• Legal minimum sizes are 60mm for Roe's abalone and 140mm for greenlip and brownlip, measured across the widest part of the shell.