A convoy of more than 150 cars towing boats brought traffic to a crawl on a major Perth freeway on Sunday morning, in a dramatic protest against the State Government's contentious recreational fishing bans.
Convoy Chaos on Kwinana Freeway
The action, dubbed the 'Reel Rights Convoy', was organised by the community alliance known as the Coastal Collective. Participants were called to "spruce up their beloved boats and join us early this Sunday morning" for a planned rally travelling from Port Beach towards the Perth CBD.
The result was significant traffic disruption. Footage released by Main Roads WA after 10:30am on Sunday, 18 January 2026, showed heavily congested northbound lanes on the Kwinana Freeway. The dynamic speed limit was reduced to 60km/h as cars dotted with boat trailers moved slowly along the highway.
"Various lanes under speed. Heavy congestion from Canning Highway through to Mitchell Freeway. Plan ahead and allow for extra travel time," an official Main Roads update advised motorists.
Protesters Demand Parliamentary Inquiry
The Reel Rights Convoy is driven by an independent WA group of community members and fishing enthusiasts. Their primary goal is to force a parliamentary inquiry into the decisions surrounding the fishing bans.
The group aims to make recommendations to improve outcomes for fish stocks, protect the coastal lifestyle, and provide certainty to small businesses they say have been negatively impacted. Protesters argue there has been inadequate consultation with stakeholders and a lack of sufficient scientific data to justify the legislation.
The protest targets a 20-month pause on recreational fishing in the West Coast bioregion, a measure the State Government says is necessary for stock recovery.
Industry Voices Clash Over Ban Logic
The debate over the bans has grown increasingly heated. On Friday, SME Australia and Marine Futures Alliance founder Dean Logan labelled the policy "scientific and political nonsense", accusing it of being the result of fierce lobbying.
"This is a really mischievous strategy by the recreational fishing lobby to eradicate cottage-based fishermen," Mr Logan claimed. "It's scientifically flawed when we don't even know how many fish the recreational fishing industry catch."
Sunday's large-scale protest, however, demonstrates the depth of feeling among recreational fishers who believe their access and way of life are being unfairly targeted. The traffic chaos served as a highly visible symbol of their discontent, forcing the issue into the public eye as the political debate continues.
