Demersal information for recreational fishers

In the West Coast bioregion, recreational fishing for demersal scalefish by boat is prohibited until Spring 2027. This is in place to support the recovery of the West Coast demersal scalefish resource.

These measures do not apply to land-based recreational fishers (fishing by line or spearfishing), who can continue to fish for demersal scalefish year round, outside of existing spawning closures. Note that land-based spearfishers are not permitted to fish for WA dhufish.

Ministerial Advisory Committee

The Minister for Fisheries has established the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource Ministerial Advisory Committee. The Committee has been appointed to provide recommendations to the State Government on:

• additional spawning closures to provide protection for key species including pink snapper and WA dhufish
• locations to establish demersal sanctuary zones to ensure the long-term sustainability of stocks
• changes to recreational fishing rules, such as boat and bag limits, to support the ongoing recovery of fish stocks when boat-based fishing reopens.

Members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee include recreational fishing, charter fishing, science and conservation representatives. The advisory committee will operate from February 2026 until May 2027.

The recreational fishing guide is also available from DPIRD offices.