Fisheries officers with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are conducting regular patrols at Lake Quallilup on the WA South Coast to protect black bream from illegal fishing.
Fisheries officers with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are conducting regular patrols at Lake Quallilup on the WA South Coast to protect black bream from illegal fishing.
Lake Quallilup is part of a nature reserve east of Esperance, highly popular for recreational fishing for black bream (Aconthopagrus butcheri).
The daily bag limit for black bream is six per person with a minimum size limit of 250mm. Bream below the minimum size are totally protected and it is an offence to take or be in possession of undersize fish.
Since January this year, DPIRD fisheries patrols at Lake Quallilup have resulted in a number of apprehensions of fishers exceeding the daily bag limit and taking undersize bream. In total, 11 infringements and four warnings have been issued.
An apprehension in early June detected four fishers in possession of 66 black bream including 46 below the minimum size limit. The catch was seized and the group was issued $2,200 dollars in fines.
Esperance Supervising Fisheries and Marine Officer Charles Kavanagh said Lake Quallilup was a highly valued fishing area by the local and wider community and patrols were focused on ensuring bream populations remained sustainable.
"The fishing rules are designed to protect the sustainability of black bream and offenders who take more fish than permitted or take undersize fish are putting this popular fishing experience at risk," Mr Kavanagh added.
"Size limits allow fish to reach maturity to complete their breeding cycle, so we urge all fishers to know the rules, measure their fish and return any undersize or excess fish alive to the water.
"Lake Quallilup is also unique in being a land-locked saltwater body, meaning local bream populations can't naturally recruit from other estuaries along the coast. This creates a greater risk to the sustainability of these bream from illegal fishing practices.
"We urge all members of the community to report illegal fishing activity to FishWatch on 1800 815 507. Recreational fishers can check to see if seasonal closures or restrictions are in place via the fishing rules website."
