Recreational abalone fishers are reminded to fish safely and sustainably on Saturday 10 January for the second session of the Western Zone fishing season between 7am and 8am.
The session will be open to about 16,000 current licenced abalone fishers between Busselton Jetty and the Greenough River Mouth, based on the predicted weather and ocean conditions.
Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) modelling predicts an average tide of 0.4 metres and an average wave height and swell of 1.0 metre or above. The air temperature range is expected to be from 16 to 30 degrees with winds of about 27 kilometres per hour.
The modelling uses the best available information on conditions from several sources, rating the risks for factors like wind speed, wave height, tide, swell period and direction.
Conditions may differ at various locations throughout the zone and anyone collecting abalone should ensure they have sufficient water skills to match the conditions, wear the right gear and keep an eye on waves that wash across the reefs. Monitor conditions on the day and take the advice of SLSWA to manage personal safety.
DPIRD management officer Aidan Walsh said all fishers should know the abalone size and bag limits and take all steps to ensure we have healthy stocks for the future.
The bag limit for Roe's abalone is 15 and the minimum size limit is 60 millimetres, measured across the widest part of the shell.
"Abalone should always be measured before they are removed from a reef, so undersize abalone are left to grow. Once removed, the survival rate for undersize abalone is reduced," he said.
"If abalone is in your catch bag it's considered your catch. It's too late to measure when you return to shore."
The fishing rules are available in DPIRD's Abalone Recreational fishing guide .
DPIRD fisheries officers will be attending beaches within the Western Zone to ensure people understand and follow the rules. SLSWA will be on patrol to ensure fisher safety, excluding the area north of Yanchep to Greenough River Mouth.
The abalone season is tightly managed to provide recreational fishers with safe access to the abalone and ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishery.
