South Coast WA towns brace for booming angler numbers as West Coast fishery closes
The Shire of Manjimup is calling for funding to upgrade South Coast fishing towns. (Supplied: Shire of Manjimup)
In short:
The Shire of Manjimup is requesting the WA government invest $10 million in upgrades ahead of a predicted surge in fishers.
The push follows a fishing ban for commercial and recreational fishers, which will start next year.
What's next?
The council will formally request funding to the state government to upgrade essential infrastructure.
South Coast towns in Western Australia are bracing for an influx of fishers following the permanent ban on commercial demersal fishing on the West Coast and a 21-month ban on recreational demersal fishing.
Local fishers say the ban, which will take effect from January 1 between Kalbarri and Augusta, is already pushing more people to fish south of that area.
As a result, the Shire of Manjimup has unanimously voted to seek $10 million from the state government for infrastructure upgrades at Windy Harbour and Walpole, about 400 kilometres south of Perth.
The funding would include upgrades to boat ramps, toilets, showers, fish cleaning stations and parking.
It would also be used to support local health services, bushfire response, marine rescue and volunteer organisations.
Donelle Buegge says coastal towns like Windy Harbour and Walpole are not prepared for a surge in visiting fishers. (ABC South West WA: Jon Daly)
Shire President Donelle Buegge said existing infrastructure and services were not equipped to manage the anticipated increase in visitor numbers.
"There is going to be a huge amount of fishing boats that will come down for day trips that will hit Windy Harbour,"she said.
"Windy Harbour is very much a small settlement. We just don't have the facilities down there or the capacity to handle, maybe 80,000 people coming down a year to launch their boats."
Walpole is preparing for an influx of fishers. (ABC South West: Jon Daly)
Ramping up demand
Ms Buegge said the nursing post in Northcliffe only operates on weekdays, leaving no local medical services available on weekends.
"The closest medical facility will be Manjimup, which is over an hour away," she said.
"So, anyone who gets a fishhook stuck in their finger or steps on something they shouldn't step on, those facilities aren't available.
"It's been really short-sighted what this impact could be to this town site, and that's why we're coming asking for the money."
Tom Miller is already noticing the waters getting busier where he fishes. (Supplied: Tom Miller)
Bunbury recreational fisher Tom Miller, who often fishes on the South Coast, said he had already noticed more fishers heading south as West Coast access shut down.
"It's already happening, there's a very large influx that has started,"he said.
"It will be busy once the closures start, and when the weather's good, everyone will go at once."
He said he supported the shire's push for upgrades.
"Windy Harbour, there's a concrete ramp there, but it's directly into the ocean," he said.
"Whereas Walpole, its current ramp is in town and in a sheltered waterway.
"The hazards at Walpole are not so much at its by ramp, but at the entrance to the North Inlet, but Windy Harbour could definitely use some work."
Graeme Drew worries the South Coast will be next in line for cuts. (Supplied: Graeme Drew)
Fishing pressure
Commercial fisher Graeme Drew, who has worked in the South Coast for more than 40 years near Bremer Bay, said the closures were already putting pressure on South Coast waters.
"The effort will come straight off the West Coast, and it will come down onto the South Coast," he said.
"You're going to get a large amount of overfishing on the South Coast, which is detrimental to all of the South Coast fishermen in the long term."
Graeme Drew fishes for pilchards to supply the amateur bait market, while also targeting demersal species. (Supplied: Graeme Drew)
Mr Drew said he believed South Coast operators like himself could face losses of 20 to 30 per cent.
"Unless we catch a certain amount of fish each trip, you'd make more money if you stayed home,"he said.
"There's a real risk for both commercial operators and the wider supply chain, bait suppliers, processors, boat builders, everyone will feel the impact."
A state government spokesperson said Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis received a meeting request from the Shire of Manjimup on December 17, but did not comment in relation to the funding request.
They said the onus was on the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to manage fish stocks across the Great Southern.
“DPIRD has over 100 fisheries compliance officers and the fisheries resources within DPIRD are the largest of any state in Australia," the spokesperson said.
"The Cook government has invested in a number of recreational fishing facilities across the state, including fish cleaning stations, fish platforms and jetties."