Demersal fishing ban from Kalbarri to Augusta lifted from September 16 to October 14, takes in school holidays

The school holidays are almost here — and there’s one thing you’ll be able to do with your kids over the two-week period before its banned again.

The holiday starts on Saturday and deliberately coincides with the opening of the demersal fishing season in the West Coast Bioregion from Augusta to Kalbarri.

The demersal fishing season officially opened on Monday.

It means boaties and fishers can get their family and friends aboard to drop a line for much-sought after delicacies including dhufish, baldchin groper, breaksea cod and pink snapper.

The season is open for the entirety of the two-week school holidays, extending a week beyond to October 14 before its banned again until December 16.

In Warnbro Sound, pink snapper cannot be caught until February 1 as they are spawning.

The management strategy is designed to preserve demersal fish stocks for fishing into the future, with three open seasons throughout the year.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development principal fisheries management officer Clinton Syers said recreational fishers were doing their part to help the overall recovery of demersal stocks.

“Fishers can also help by recording their demersal catches on the FishCatchWA tool, which is available on the ServiceWA app,” he said.

“Voluntary reporting of recreational catches is an important aspect of the work supporting the recovery of demersal species in the West Coast Bioregion and we encourage fishers to log their catches in FishCatchWA.

“Fishers are also urged to donate their demersal fish frames to DPIRD’s ongoing Send Us Your Skeletons research project.

“Our researchers can gauge valuable insights from the donated fish frames into the age of the fish, length, growth patterns and much more.

“DPIRD’s scientists require 300 to 500 frames from each of the key demersal species each year, to continue this vital work that feeds into the recovery program.”

Mr Syers said that fishers should not despair when the demersal bans are in place with many other species making good dinner dishes.

“Fishers can also switch their fishing activities to non-demersal species such as tuna, samsonfish and whiting,” he said.