According to the information available the Australian authority has decided to bring forth new format of one-day-per-month for recreational abalone fishing in the West Coast Zone. One-hour sessions on the first Sunday of each month November to March
Total closure applies north of Moore River for recreational abalone fishing
Licensed recreational abalone fishers have been urged to familiarise themselves with the revised fishing format for the 2011 recreational abalone fishing season.
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said the new format allowed fishing for one Sunday a month over a five-month period. He also added that fishing will starts on Sunday as usual and there will be a month’s break between each fishing opportunity. He said that the previous abalone fishing season arrangements allowed for five one-hour sessions over five consecutive Sundays, but the new season will be the first Sunday of the month for five consecutive months.
Moore informed that fishing in the warmer months will add to the safety for abalone collectors due to lower swells and longer breaks between fishing windows will also provide flexibility for the Department of Fisheries to monitor the fishery throughout the season, from a research and compliance perspective. This new format would help researchers to use catch prediction models based on tide, swell and wind to manage the season in ‘real-time’ to ensure the total allowable catch of 40 tonne for all recreational fishers can be adhered to.
