Tensions are escalating along the West Australian coast as a sudden government ban on a key type of commercial fishing drives operators to desperate protest action, with many saying they have been stripped of their income overnight.
Snap Ban Leaves Fishers High and Dry
The controversial prohibition on demersal fishing, which targets bottom-dwelling species, came into force on January 1 along a vast stretch of coastline from Kalbarri to Augusta. Dozens of commercial fishers argue the immediate enforcement has cost them their livelihoods without adequate warning or support.
In a dramatic display of frustration, fisherman John Higham this week shackled his boat to the Geraldton fisheries office. His protest highlighted the personal toll of the policy. "If I can’t go to work, why should they be allowed to go to work," Higham told 7NEWS.
While the state government has offered Higham a $2000 act of grace payment, he dismissed it as insufficient, stating it would "last me probably a month if that — then I’ll have to sell my house". His expected full compensation payout is only around $6,000.
Industry Demands and Government Stance
Commercial fishers from across WA have now gathered in Perth, preparing to meet with Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis on Thursday. Their key demands include:
- Relaxing certain rules, such as allowing shark fishers back on the water.
- An independent scientific review of the data behind the ban.
- Making a proposed licence buy-back scheme voluntary, not compulsory.
The fishers caught in the ban, like shark fisherman Nicholas Soulos, argue they are being unfairly penalised. They claim only a small fraction of their catch includes at-risk species like dhufish and that they possess the knowledge to avoid critical areas if consulted. "We all know where the spawning grounds are, we all know the times of the year," Soulos said. "We could avoid those areas if we’re given the chance."
Phil Clark, chair of the group Fish For All, described the ongoing negotiations as cautiously hopeful. "The best way to describe it is the door’s ajar on all the topics that we’re talking about," he noted.
A Tough Decision to Protect Stocks
The WA government, however, is defending the ban as a necessary, albeit difficult, measure. It maintains the action is crucial to rebuild severely depleted demersal fish stocks for the long-term health of the marine environment.
WA Premier Roger Cook stood firm on the decision on Wednesday. "No one wants to make these tough decisions but someone had to do it," Cook stated. "Someone had to intervene and act and act decisively in order to save our fish stocks."
The standoff underscores the classic conflict between immediate economic survival and long-term environmental sustainability, with the futures of fishing families and the health of WA's marine ecosystems hanging in the balance.
