- Cook Government continuing to support recreational fishing with latest deployment of southern fish aggregating devices (FADs)
- DPIRD researchers to study fish attracted to FADs using underwater cameras and acoustic methods
- FADs provide exciting sport fishing opportunities for Western Australians
Minister for Fisheries Don Punch has announced 30 fish aggregating devices will soon be deployed along the Western Australian coast, from Steep Point near Shark Bay through to Albany, increasing recreational fishing opportunities over the warmer summer months.
Additionally, this season the State Government will be assisting Perth Game Fishing Club by deploying their six metropolitan FADs, which they have historically deployed west of Rottnest Island annually for over 30 years.
The Cook Government has invested $1.5 million in FADs as part of the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource support package to enable fishers to 'switch their fish' and go for large pelagic species like tuna, dolphinfish and marlin.
For the first time in the program, scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) will be collecting data on the number and size of fish attracted to the FADs to learn more about the lesser-understood pelagic species.
This ambitious science program will use a combination of baited cameras and echosounder buoys, that stream 24/7 live data about the density of fish aggregating under the FADs.
As the FADs are deployed, location information will be added to the Fisheries WA website Fish aggregating devices (FADs) and artificial reefs and via Recfishwest at FADs locations - Recfishwest .
The current network of 42 FADs also includes 12 other FADs that are currently deployed off WA's north coast. These will be retrieved in late November in line with seasonal conditions.
As stated by Fisheries Minister Don Punch:
"The Cook Government is pleased to support the FADs program for another season as these structures provide exciting fishing opportunities for our recreational anglers.
"It's great to see the southern FADs being deployed again at known popular fishing locations throughout the warmer months. We expect all FADs will be deployed between Albany and Steep Point by the end of November.
"I would like to thank Recfishwest for their partnership on this program, which delivers WA recfishers greater access to prized large pelagic species like Spanish mackerel, dolphinfish trevally, sailfish, wahoo, southern bluefin and yellowfin tuna and marlin.
"The commencement of exciting research on these FADs will also improve our ability to better understand the fish species attracted to them, and over time improve the network of FADs for recreational fishers."
