THE WA Government may be set to more than halve the bag limit for the state’s most popular recreational fishing species, the Australian herring.
It has been reported that WA’s Fisheries Department has issued warnings that herring stocks are in serious decline.
Almost a year after a draft study of “near-shore” species by WA’s Fisheries department found herring numbers had plummeted, it is understood Fisheries Minister Ken Baston is preparing to cut catches.
At present, anglers are allowed to take up to 30 herring a day but the Government is considering a new bag limit of less than 15 to ease pressure on stocks.
According to information on the species via the WA Fisheries website, the Australian herring was named due to a superficial resemblance to the herring of the northern hemisphere, but is not related. Australian herring can grow to 41cm in length but most are caught at about 20-25 cm.
An endemic Australian species, the Australian herring actually belongs to the perch family of which the Australian salmon (Arripis truttaceus) also belongs and in its juvenile stage, can be easily confused with adult herring (Arripis georgianus).
Mr Baston confirmed he had received a final report from his department, which said the total herring catch by commercial and recreational fishers should be halved.
The advice was given as part of a “herring science package” that included reviews of Fisheries’ original study and a separate one commissioned by the commercial fishing lobby.
Recfishwest boss Andrew Rowland said the sustainability of herring was “paramount” but the sector did not believe it should have to accept bag limit reductions above 50 per cent.
Dr Rowland instead argued the commercial sector should shoulder the “lion’s share” of any cuts because the species were of greater value to the recreational industry.
