❓ An inquiry regarding shore-based commercial net fishing licences between Bunbury and Mandurah, covering licence numbers, permitted species, restrictions, closed areas, equipment allowances, and staffing regulations. The answer clarifies the regulations for the South West Beach Seine Fishery and South West Coast Salmon Fishery.
AnsweredQoN 3755Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to shore-based commercial net fishing licences in Western Australia and ask: (a) how many shore-based commercial net fishing licences are granted and active for coastal areas between Bunbury and Mandurah; (b) for which species are those who hold such licences allowed to fish; (c) what seasonal restrictions are placed on these licences; (d) which areas of the coast between Bunbury and Mandurah are off-limits to said licence-holders; (e) how much of the following is allowed to be used for fishing and related activities under a single licence: (i) metres of net; (ii) vehicles; and (iii) boats; and (f) how many people are allowed to be employed, or volunteer, in the running of nets, loading of fish, and carrying out of general hand-type work under a single licence?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 April 2015
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Fisheries
Response time
35 days
(a) All 11 fishing units in the South West Beach Seine Fishery are permitted to commercially fish from the beach between Bunbury and Mandurah using haul nets.
Note that all 16 licences in the South West Coast Salmon Fishery are permitted to use beach seine nets to target salmon. The fishery extends from Black Point (east of Augusta) to the Western Australia/Northern Territory border. However, the fishers are not active north of Bunbury and the fishery has been treated as out of scope for the other elements of the question.
(b) The 11 fishing units in the South West Beach Seine Fishery target a suite of small pelagic finfish species, primarily whitebait, blue sardines and mullet, although other scalefish species may be retained (except species such as salmon which are covered by other management arrangements).
(c) There are no seasonal restrictions in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(d) The areas that are closed to netting between Bunbury and Mandurah are included within the Closed Waters Netting (Preston Beach to Dunsborough) 1990 - Notice No. 443 [See tabled paper No.]
(e) (i) 250m in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(ii) There is no restriction on the number of vehicles that may be used during fishing operations of a fishing unit in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(iii) Only one authorised boat may be used during the fishing operations of a fishing unit in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(f) There is no restriction on the number of persons that may be engaged in the fishing operations of a fishing unit in the South West Beach Seine Fishery, however all those persons need to hold a current Commercial Fishing Licence.
Note that all 16 licences in the South West Coast Salmon Fishery are permitted to use beach seine nets to target salmon. The fishery extends from Black Point (east of Augusta) to the Western Australia/Northern Territory border. However, the fishers are not active north of Bunbury and the fishery has been treated as out of scope for the other elements of the question.
(b) The 11 fishing units in the South West Beach Seine Fishery target a suite of small pelagic finfish species, primarily whitebait, blue sardines and mullet, although other scalefish species may be retained (except species such as salmon which are covered by other management arrangements).
(c) There are no seasonal restrictions in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(d) The areas that are closed to netting between Bunbury and Mandurah are included within the Closed Waters Netting (Preston Beach to Dunsborough) 1990 - Notice No. 443 [See tabled paper No.]
(e) (i) 250m in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(ii) There is no restriction on the number of vehicles that may be used during fishing operations of a fishing unit in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(iii) Only one authorised boat may be used during the fishing operations of a fishing unit in the South West Beach Seine Fishery.
(f) There is no restriction on the number of persons that may be engaged in the fishing operations of a fishing unit in the South West Beach Seine Fishery, however all those persons need to hold a current Commercial Fishing Licence.
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