- Cook Government investing $1.5 million to expand popular Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) program for recreational fishers
- Twenty-eight FADs to go in the water between Geraldton and Albany to provide more alternative recreational fishing opportunities
Twenty-eight Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) will be dropped off Western Australia’s coast, between Geraldton and Albany, over the next month, providing more exciting sport fishing opportunities for recreational fishers this summer.
The Cook Government is investing $1.5 million over the next three years to expand the FADs program, following a successful four-year trial by Recfishwest through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund.
The program started with 28 FADs and has been expanded to 40 this year.
FADs consist of buoys or floats that are moored to the ocean floor using an anchor system, providing a shelter for bait fish which attract large pelagic fish such as mahi-mahi, tuna, and marlin.
The program is part of the support package for the recovery of the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource, boosting opportunities for recreational fishers to switch their fish to these alternate species.
Managed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), the first 10 southern FADs will be deployed between Rockingham and Two Rocks by the end of this month.
The remainder will go in regional waters off Albany, Cape Naturaliste, Mandurah, Lancelin, Jurien Bay, the Abrolhos Islands, Geraldton, and Steep Point this November.
Recfishwest has provided advice on the best locations for the FADs, and the expanded program now includes FADs off Mandurah, Lancelin, Jurien Bay, and Steep Point.
FADs were deployed along the northern coast off Exmouth, Point Samson, and Dampier earlier this year, and will be collected next month ahead of the cyclone season.
As the FADs are deployed, location information will be added to the Fisheries WA website: https://www.fish.wa.gov.au/FADs-and-artificial-reefs
As stated by Fisheries Minister Don Punch:
“It is great to see that the first of our southern FADs are ready to go into metropolitan waters later this month.
“Expanding the popular FADs program is an important part of the Cook Government’s demersal recovery support package.
“It provides alternative fishing opportunities for recfishers to switch their fish, and give our prized pink snapper and dhufish species a rest and an opportunity to recover.
“Thank you to Recfishwest for their support on this exciting project.
“I encourage all recfishers to check out the DPIRD website for FAD locations and head out to try their luck at catching the popular sportsfish mahi-mahi, tuna and marlin.”
