A 35-year-old man from Yarloop was penalised in Bunbury Court earlier this month, fined more than $4700 and ordered to forfeit four fishing rods and a navigational plotter for multiple fisheries offences including the taking of demersal scalefish during the West Coast Bioregion closure.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs) carried out an inspection at the Binningup Boat Ramp in March and found the 'master of the boat' with three undersize blue swimmer crabs, six pink snapper, one West Australian dhufish and three undersize tarwhine and a shark.
The legal size limit for tarwhine is 250 millimeters. The pink snapper and WA dhufish are demersal scalefish and it is an offence to engage in recreational fishing by boat for demersal scalefish in the West Coast Bioregion.
Neither the master of the boat or another man on board held a Recreational (Boat) Fishing Licence.
A recovery closure remains place in the West Coast region, from Kalbarri to Augusta, until spring 2027 for boat-based demersal fishing.
New bag and size limits for recreational demersal fishing were introduced on 1 June for the North, Gascoyne and South Coast bioregions. This includes a new mixed species demersal daily bag limit of four demersal fish per recreational fisher in these regions.
DPIRD FMOs are out on patrol in the southern region to ensure fishers are following demersal fishing rules to help the support recovery of stocks.
Since December 2025 across Bunbury, Busselton and Albany, DPIRD FMOs have spoken with more than 5500 recreational fishers, inspected more than 1000 vessels and undertaken over 60 patrols outside of normal operation hours (6am to 6pm).
While majority of fishers are doing the right thing, those observed doing the wrong thing can face substantial penalties.
DPIRD Regional Compliance South Director Noel Chambers said it was pleasing see majority of fishers doing the right thing and sticking to the demersal fishing rules.
"All recfishers are reminded to make sure they understand the new statewide demersal fishing rules and are also abiding by the closure for the West Coast bioregion," Mr Chambers said.
"Fishers must ensure they don't take undersize fish or more than the legal bag limits which is vital to the sustainability of our recreational fisheries.
"We are also encouraging fishers to target alternative species such as crab, squid, rock lobster and near‑shore species including whiting, tailor, flathead and herring while the demersal closure remains in place."
Mr Chambers said community support was critical to help detect illegal fishing activity to support the sustainable management of the State's aquatic resources.
"Anyone who suspects illegal fishing activity should call FishWatch on 1800 815 507 or report the matter via the online form on Crimestoppers ," he said.
The rules for recreational fishing are available in the Recreational Fishing Guide 2026 and information can also be found online by searching the rules by species and location .
