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Government of Western Australia - Department of Fisheries
Wednesday 21 December 2022

Boat-based recreational fishing survey

The 2020/21 Statewide Recreational Fishing Survey report is available now.

Thanks to the participation of 8,000 recreational fishers, DPIRD scientists have built a strong picture of boat-based recreational fishing participation, effort and catch in Western Australia.

This survey involved the use of log books, boat ramp surveys, and remote cameras to capture data from fishers and expanded it to represent fishing activity in WA. These complementary survey methods make it one of the most comprehensive surveys of its kind.

Key results:

  • 1.2 million fishing hours and close to 470,000 fishing events occurred statewide
  • 80% of Recreational Boat Fishing Licence holders fished at least once
  • School whiting were the most caught finfish statewide, with 320,000 reeled in by recfishers

Thank you to the Edith Cowan University Survey Research Centre staff for conducting the phone interviews. Surveys like this directly benefit recreational fishers around WA. 

This strong science means we can accurately monitor and sustainably manage a broad range of recreational fisheries, ensuring we all have fish for the future.

Learn more from the Science Update, or read the whole report

Last modified: 21/12/2022 8:15 AM

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