- 50,000 Roe’s abalone to be released following the recreational fishing season
- Perth’s Roe’s abalone stocks are in good shape for upcoming fishing season
- Fishers need to keep safety front of mind and pay attention to ocean conditions
An upcoming project will see juvenile abalone stocked in Perth metropolitan waters for the first time ever.
50,000 Roe’s abalone will be released on reefs between Trigg and Hillarys once the 2022/23 fishing season is over. Supported by more than $400,000 in Recreational Fishing Initiatives Funding, the tag-recapture project will assess the viability of Roe’s abalone enhancement in the Perth Metro Fishery.
Today, abalone fishers will get their first chance to take home a feed of this highly prized delicacy.
The first fishing hour of the West Coast Zone abalone season is from 7am to 8am, with fishers urged to stay safe and pay close attention to ocean conditions.
More than 17,000 fishers have taken out a recreational abalone fishing licence, which allows them to collect a bag limit of 15 Roe’s abalone.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) compliance officers will be at key fishing locations on Saturday to ensure fishers stick to the rules, while Surf Life Saving volunteers will be monitoring the water for fishers in distress.
DPIRD research shows stock indicators for adult Roe’s abalone off the Perth coast have remained close to record highs of recent seasons.
However, stock monitoring shows juvenile abalone recruitment declined sharply in 2022. This was attributed to higher sea surface temperatures. The drop underpins the need for careful management. Limiting recreational abalone fishing to four fishing hours means we can keep this unique Western Australian fishery sustainable.
Details on the fishing rules and fishing dates for the upcoming season are available in the Abalone recreational fishing guide 2022/23.
As stated by Fisheries Minister Don Punch:
“Careful management and ongoing stock monitoring has helped ensure the highly valued Perth abalone fishery is sustainable and provides fishers with the opportunity to collect this delicacy from the doorstep of our capital city.
“Our abalone season benefits greatly from volunteers, like the surf lifesavers that monitor fisher safety and the research volunteers who count and weigh catches to help with monitoring the fishery during each fishing session.
“Following the 2022-23 West Coast Zone season, we will continue to focus on abalone through a joint Recfishwest project with DPIRD researchers and volunteers to conduct the first-ever stocking of juvenile abalone in Perth’s metro waters.
“This is supported by $414,310 from the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund, which effectively puts licence fees to work to enhance recreational fishing opportunities in WA.”
