Improving fishing compliance and education received a boost with last night’s graduation of 12 new Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs). The state government has decided to increase fisheries patrols and thus there is an improvement in fishing compliance and education. The 12 officers have received about 15 weeks of training at the Department of Fisheries’ Marine Operations Centre, to prepare them for a range of duties, including land-based mobile patrols and seagoing duties.
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said the new officers would join the existing team of FMOs dedicated to mobile patrols across the State. He added that direct contact with fishers provides important education opportunities to pass on information about fishing rules and to spread important messages about fishing for the future.
According to the record of the Department of Fisheries funding and increased mobile patrols with the introduction of a fleet of special four-wheel drives had proven successful. He said that the mobility of the patrols has helped the officers reach popular and remote fishing locations across Western Australia where they have been able to focus on a wide range of fisheries, including demersal marine scalefish, shore-based finfish, rock lobster, abalone and crabs. The Minister said the mobile patrols were providing highly flexible resources to target problem areas and particular fishing seasons across WA.
