WA Fisheries says an extensive study of three of the state’s key demersal scalefish species has demonstrated stock recovery has begun.
The stock assessment of the key indicator species (West Australian dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper) focused on the West Coast Bioregion, where a suite of recreational and commercial fishing management measures were introduced between 2008 and 2010.
Those management measures were designed to reduce both sectors catches by at least 50 per cent on 2005/06 levels, to reduce pressure on stocks and allow them to rebuild. Action was required following a 2007 stock assessment, which had identified there was overfishing of demersal species in the West Coast Bioregion.
Strategic Fisheries Policy Manager Nathan Harrison said the latest assessment allowed the department to gauge how appropriate the current management settings had been in facilitating the recovery of these important demersal species.
“These are long-lived species and their recovery will therefore be slow, taking up to 15 to 20 years,” Mr Harrison said.
“The good news is there are signs that recovery is underway for WA dhufish and pink
snapper, but it is early days and we still have a long way to go. WAFIC and Recfishwest have been briefed on the findings and the department will continue to work with these groups on future management needs. We thank fishers from both sectors for their good stewardship and compliance with the management strategy.”
Mr Harrison said it was important to keep monitoring the key demersal species, to ensure the recovery trajectory could continue at an appropriate rate.
The full stock assessment report will be published in the near future. A key findings document is now available on the Department’s website at www.fish.wa.gov.au.
Rec fishers in the West Coast Bioregion will be able to target demersal fish from Monday 16 December, following the annual two-month seasonal closure.
