Tough WA fishing rules fail to protect 'sustainability' of dhufish

Australia Broadcast Center

30-07-2025

Despite two years of tough fishing restrictions along the West Australian coast, a confidential report has revealed the population of demersal fish has not improved and even declined for the dhufish.
In 2022, the McGowan Labor government introduced new fishing rules and catch restrictions in the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery (WCDSF) in a bid to boost the recovery of key species such as snapper, baldchin groper and dhufish.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has not publicly released a stock assessment report on the fishery since its 2021 report, which looked at the coastline from Kalbarri to Augusta.
Managing director of think-tank Sustainable Seafood Australia, Darryl Hockey, supplied the ABC with a briefing note he secured under Freedom of Information, sent by the state's scientists to the then Fisheries minister Don Punch in February 2024, on the WCDSF.
The briefing note from DPIRD said the status of dhufish had "escalated from high to severe risk," while snapper remained at severe risk and baldchin groper at high risk.
The government has not publicly released the referenced stock assessment report.
Mr Hockey said the government must act swiftly and further cut fishing catch limits to protect dhufish, such as slashing boat limits from four per day to one.
And he said the government needed to be transparent and release the stock assessment, which is regarded as a key "health check" of the fishery.
"The alarm bells should be ringing," Mr Hockey said.
The 2021 stock assessment report states that DPIRD tracks recovery progress by undertaking weight of evidence every three to five years.
Mr Hockey has also accused the government of "sitting on" its latest recreational fishing survey.
This survey is also conducted by DPIRD and estimates the recreational sector's catch through measures such as phone surveys, boat ramp surveys and remote camera monitoring.
In the same briefing note sent to the previous minister in February last year, it flags the recreational boat fishing survey to be finalised in early 2025.
Mr Hockey said with the information in hand, the new Fisheries] Minister Jackie Jarvis was in a position to to make an important decision of the sustainability of this fishery,.
"The management settings put in place by Minister Punch were ridiculous," he said.
"It's most important that we have mandatory real-time electronic reporting of [recreational] catches because if you can't measure it you can't manage it.
"If you're going to make decisions to protect the fishery, surely you need to have accurate measurements, and that can only be done electronically through an app."
Calls for mandatory electronic reporting of catches have been backed by groups such as the WA Fishing Industry Council and the Western Rock Lobster Council, but are opposed by recreational groups such as RecFish West.
Jackie Jarvis was appointed as the Fisheries Minister in April this year.
She was unavailable to speak to the ABC.
In a statement, she said the DPIRD undertook ongoing stock assessments to monitor WA's fish resources.
"I am awaiting updated stock assessments, including commercial and recreational catch information, and have committed to industry and stakeholders that there will be broad consultation once this assessment data has been finalised," Ms Jarvis said.