[Animals] WA's new fishing rules come into effect today. Here's everything you need to know

[Douma]

New restrictions for recreational fishing along Western Australia's coast come into effect today, aimed at boosting the recovery of species such as snapper and dhufish.

If you plan on casting a line from a boat anywhere along the 900 kilometres of coastline between Kalbarri and Augusta, here's everything you need to know. 

Catching demersal scalefish from a boat is now prohibited from February 1 to March 31, from August 1 to the beginning of the September/October school holidays, and from the end of those holidays until December 15.

Anyone casting off boats outside of those dates will be limited to four demersal fish per vessel.

The new rules have also removed boat limits for dhufish, meaning fishers are allowed to catch two per person. 

Size limits for dhufish, baldchin groper and breaksea cod have also been removed. 

Who is impacted and who is exempt?
The restrictions apply to anyone fishing off a boat along the 900 kilometre-long stretch of coast from Kalbarri to Augusta. 

Those fishing off land are exempt from the seasonal closures, but the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's Aquatic Resources Director, Nathan Harrison, said that won't have a major impact on stock. 

"The number of demersal scalefish that are caught off the shore are very very small," he said. 

Charter boats and commercial fishers are also off the hook with the new restrictions.

WA Fisheries officers will patrol boat ramps along the coast and recreational fishers caught with demersal fish during the off-season could be fined up to $5,000. 

"It's up to recreational fishers themselves to make sure they do the right thing, because the future quality of this fishery is in the hands of recreational fishers," Mr Harrison said. 

Why is this happening?
A two-month ban and bag limits were introduced in 2010 as part of a 20-year plan to address overfishing, but a 2021 stock assessment off WA's coast found populations were not recovering in line with the 2030 targets.

The report also flagged a shortage of older fish, which are the most important to sustain the fish population. 

As a result, the WA government began industry-wide consultation last year to make changes to the plan in a bid to reduce catches by 50 per cent. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/101913460