Department of Fisheries Mulls Coordination Of Fishing Bans

The Western Australia Department of Fisheries has indicated it may coordinate seasonal closures of the demersal gillnet fishery for both the commercial and recreational fishing sector. A two-month ban on longline and gillnet fishing from Steep Point to Albany came into effect yesterday but the recreational sector can continue fishing until October 15, when its two-month ban takes effect.

Lindsay Joll from the department says the seasonal closures are designed to protect stocks of whiskery sharks, which have their pups in September. "Due to the law of unintended consequences, this closure ends at the same time that the recreational closure starts," he said. "We'll be discussing with both the demersal gillnet longline and the recreational sector about whether there is any opportunity to more sympathetically align those two closures."

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