Mid West businesses slam State Govt for lifting size limits, saying demersal ban will affect tourism business

Charter operators and tourist towns in the Mid West are disappointed about the State Government’s decision to manage demersal fish stocks, but a local ecotourism operator says it’s a step in the right direction. The new measures enforced in February will ban boaters from catching the species for six months staggered throughout the year and excluding school holidays, while recreational line fishers can now fish year-round with size limits lifted for some species including dhufish. A new bag limit of four demersal species per boat will also replace the current system that allows each licensed fisher on a vessel to catch two fish. Closures will run from February 1 to March 31, August 1 to the September/October school break, with the ban returning when holidays are complete until December 15. Abrolhos Islands wilderness fishing will be introduced with a bag limit of one demersal species and maximum possession of 5kg fish fillets in a move towards eco tourism. Kalbarri Offshore and Angling Club president Cheryl Eley said the measures would have serious long-term ramifications to the town’s tourism industry. “We’ve had to cancel the annual Kalbarri Sports Fishing Classic, this would have been our 37th year,” she said. “It’s not just the tackle shop, it’s the IGA, the accommodation, the fuel stations. A lot of our recreation evolves around the river and sea. “We understand measures had to be taken, they could have been more thought out rather than a knee-jerk reaction. We’re a hell of a long way from Augusta, they’re giving us the same bans that they have down south and in Perth.” Mrs Eley’s son Steven Eley said removing size limits on some species of demersal fish contradicted conserving the species and would affect fish stocks in the future. “If these fish don’t make it to sexual maturity, then what’s the point in putting a ban in over spawning periods when these fish aren’t getting there in the first place,” he said. “It isn’t conserving these fish stocks at all, it’s going to have the opposite effect. In 10 years time, if you keep taking the juvenile fish then there’s not going to be any big fish to breed.” Legend Charter owner operator Paul Cross said after fighting for his fishing charter business for over 12 months to no avail, it was a sinking ship. “It’s been a really painful exercise and realistically the anxiety of not knowing what you’re going to do with your employees, not knowing whether they will be able to stay in the industry — you’re spending over $100,000 before you make your first dollar to hold onto a boat,” he said. Charter operators are subject to the same measures as recreational fishers, as well as a demersal fish tagging system that will limit the quantity of fish caught per annum. A State Government spokesperson confirmed the tagging system was undergoing consultation to determine the allocation of tags and would consider factors such as catch history and trip numbers. “We don’t know how many tags each licence holder will get, there’s been a figure of 7100 tags between 98 licence holders, which equals to 71 per year if it’s shared evenly,” he said. “It’s completely unsustainable for any company to continue staying in this sector.” Mr Cross said some fishing charter operators would find it challenging to convert to the eco-tourism sector. “They’re not snorkelling instructors, they aren’t diving instructors, they’re not tour guides. . . not everyone wants to sit up in Freo and do party cruises with people consuming alcohol,” he said. Eco Abrolhos owner operator Jay Cox agreed it was difficult for fishing charters to diversify to ecotourism after he spent six years building back his business, but said ecotourism was becoming more sought out. “We’re finding it easy now, but it took us a long time to get to that point,” he said. Mr Cox said for his business the management plan was a step in the right direction and welcomed the changes, but he sympathised with fishing charters. “A lot of people aren’t interested in taking a quota home, they just want to have a feed on board and they’re happy. It works well for us and it’s in line with how things are going with fish stocks all around the world,” he said. “When there’s no fish and they’re not biting and you’ve got guys that are keen fishermen, there’s a lot of pressure on you to catch fish, and I never liked that pressure.”