- Six projects to share grants worth more than $1.88 million through the State's Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund
- Fishing safety, reducing shark bite-offs and climate change impacts on fishing are among successful innovative projects
- Recreational fishing licence fees reinvested to enhance WA fishing experiences
Fisheries Minister Don Punch has announced today Western Australia's recreational fishers are set to benefit from more than $1.88 million granted to six innovative projects, through Round 11 of the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF).
The State-wide Safe Fishing Program will be boosted by $1.11 million dollars over three years, delivered by Recfishwest to support recreational fishers to return home safely after fishing.
Recfishwest promotes safety as a key part of every fishing experience, with its Fish and Survive project driving behavioural change in the rec fishing community.
The project includes the Free Lifejacket Loan and Angel Rings programs, 'Keeping the sand between your toes campaign' which encourages the public not to go rock fishing, and abalone fishing safety initiatives.
A further $150,000 over two years will aid Recfishwest in reviewing and digitising its paper-based fishing codes of conduct, important brochures and best practice guides to make them available across web-based sites for easy access.
Shark bite-offs continue to be an issue for recreational fishers and $300,000 will be invested over two years through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to build on mitigation strategies and explore research partnerships for testing of new techniques.
The department will look to undertake a $200,000 project to better understand spatial distribution patterns and physiological resilience to climate change of key recreational fish resources.
A further $75,000 will be allocated to assess our State's fisheries agility to adapt to climate change and for stakeholders to develop options to respond to this issue.
DPIRD will also tackle a $50,000 project to review technology advances and aquaculture research to assess the viability of restocking dhufish along WA's West Coast.
As stated by Fisheries Minister Don Punch:
"This round of Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund grants builds on the success of previous projects which have delivered artificial reefs, fish aggregation devices and stock enhancement programs to make for exciting recreational fishing opportunities in WA.
"The latest grants are targeting more than $1.88 million at important fishing initiatives to further enhance the sector and is putting 25 per cent of recreational fishing licence revenue to work.
"Fishing safety is an ongoing priority for the Cook Government and I'm very happy to see funds allocated to help keep our fishers safe, along with improved recreational fishing opportunities.
"We also know that losing fish to shark bite-offs can be extremely frustrating, so continuing work to explore ways to minimise this happening will be very welcome."
