A number of general licensing changes will has come into effect since 2 March 2010, including a State-wide Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence (RFBL) and a new fee structure for existing recreational fishing licences.
It's important to remember that from 2 March 2010, an RFBL is required to undertake any general fishing activity conducted with the use of a powered boat anywhere in the State. If you don't hold an RFBL, you can still go fishing provided you are in the company of someone who holds an RFBL and you stay within that person's bag limit.
As a recreational fisher, your licence fee will go directly to the research and management of Western Australia's recreational fisheries and that's a significant step towards a sustainable industry.
Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence
A Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence is required to undertake any general fishing activity conducted with the use of a powered vessel anywhere in the State. A Recreational Fishing from a Boat Licence will not be required to fish from un-powered vessels, such as kayaks, nor will it be required where an existing licence fishing activity is the only activity undertaken.
Any fisher not holding a Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence will be allowed to fish from a boat in the company of a licensed boat fisher within the licensed fisher's bag limit.
For more information on the NEW fishing regulations, please click:
Changes To Recreational Fishing LicencesWest Coast Bioregion Closures
Stocks of some of Western Australia’s most prized demersal (bottom-dwelling) scalefish like dhufish and pink snapper are known to be at critically low levels in the West Coast Bioregion (
Kalbarri to
Augusta). To help demersal scalefish stocks recover and be sustainable for the future, a total ban on the take of ‘high risk’ demersal fish by recreational fishers in the West Coast Bioregion applies from 15 October to 15 December, inclusive. A list of the high risk demersal species to which the two-month ban applies in the West Coast Bioregion is contained in the Department of Fisheries website.
For further information, please visit:
Department of Fisheries Western Australia or contact
the Department of Fisheries on 1800 726 586.
(Note: Commercial fishers are under separate arrangements to reduce their catch of these species). Please act responsibly and do your bit to ensure we all have fish for the future.
Key dates for the West Coast Bioregion fishery
15 October
- Start of the two-month seasonal closure (for boat and shore fishing) on
the take of ‘high risk’ demersal species such as dhufish and pink snapper by recreational fishers;
- Change to the combined bag limit for ‘medium risk’ fish – including tailor, silver trevally (skippy) and King George whiting – from 16 to 12;
and
- Change to the combined bag limit for ‘lowest risk’ species – including herring, sand whiting and garfish – from 40 to 30.
16 December
From 16 December, new bag and boat limits will come into place for ‘high risk’ species. These measures include:
- The high risk category split into demersal scalefish and pelagic species;
- A mixed bag limit of 2 high risk demersal scalefish, of which only 1 (one) may be a dhufish (see table for details);
- A mixed bag limit of 2 pelagic species;
- A boat limit of 2 dhufish (6 dhufish on charter vessels);
- Removal of the existing boat limits for high risk species;
- A requirement to carry a release weight when fishing from a boat for demersal scalefish in the West Coast Bioregion;
- Removal of the maximum size for grey banded rock cod;
- New pink snapper size limit of 50 cm applies south of Lancelin; and
- Some high risk species moved to the medium risk category.
The seasonal closure (15 October to 15 December) will apply to the species contained in the table. When the fishery reopens on 16 December the new bag limits listed in the table will apply.