Archived page, Wilderness Fishing Areas

As a fisherman, the feeling of anticipation is never as high as when you fish an area where very few have fished before. In Western Australia we are extremely lucky in that we have such a sparse and relatively uninhabited coastline that provides for many excellent fishing opportunities. It is this sparseness which results in a number of the best fishing localities being relatively untouched from any substantial human activity. These areas nowadays are commonly called 'wilderness' areas.

Recfishwest has recently developed a policy on wilderness fishing areas which aims to ensure their long term sustainability by making them largely catch and release or consumption of fish on site only. This conservative approach will help ensure that the wilderness fishing experience remains for many generations to follow.

Although by definition wilderness areas are generally devoid of any significant human visitation it is still vitally important that they are effectively managed to allow for people to continue enjoying their bountiful fishing opportunities whilst also ensuring their long term sustainability.

Unfortunately the CALM management approach to ensuring long term sustainability of many valued and unique areas has been to exclude recreational fishing from them, quite often unjustly labelling them as the single major threat to these areas. The exclusion of recreational fishers from highly valued fishing localities is something that Recfishwest regularly encounters in the marine park debate and will continue to encounter. Conservation groups such as The Wilderness Society are heavily campaigning for large portions of the West Australian coastline to become sanctuary zones.

Recfishwest were left disappointed with the outcomes from the Ningaloo Marine Park planning process, where recreational fishers were unduly and unfairly excluded from enjoying fishing in 34 % of the total marine park. As a result of the Ningaloo decision and many others, Recfishwest has realised it must become more innovative in its approach to future marine park debates. With that thought in mind the Recfishwest Board went about developing the policy on Wilderness and Low Impact Fishing as a strategy which still allows recreational fishing to continue in areas that may be considered for future marine park protection.

The Recfishwest concept of wilderness fishing areas is characterised by two principal features:

1. That the populations of fish species would be very close to their natural state, i.e. they would be only lightly exploited.
   In order to maintain fish populations at or near natural levels, mortality due to human fishing must be kept low. Regulations should prevent the accumulation and removal of large catches from the area. Fishing should be only for 'catch and release', where careful release of fish is possible, or for consumption in the area.
   
   
2. That the areas should have little evidence of human development and there should be very few people in the area. If there are only a few people in the area consuming fish, the area will be lightly exploited. Recfishwest prefers not to be prescriptive with respect to restrictions on numbers of people and methods of access. It must be clear that the aim is that the area will look natural; it can never be crowded with people; and the take of fish will only have a low impact on the fish populations.

Recfishwest has a vision of applying this policy in areas that have high ecological value along with providing great fishing opportunities, but have yet to be proposed as marine protected areas.

The last decade has seen a change in the approach of many recreational fishers with a direct shift towards more catch and release fishing. People are no longer gauging their enjoyment of a holiday on the number of fillets in the freezer, but on the quality of the fishing experience. Recreational fishers are taking more pride in their resource by limiting their catch, not catching their limit, to help ensure that their practices are ecologically sustainable. Recfishwest's Wilderness Fishing policy is about allowing people to maintain the best part of fishing, the thrill of catching a fish and having a fresh feed of fish, whilst still maintaining the conservation value of many wilderness areas.

So where would this principle be most revellent in Western Australia? The following are examples and are not intended to propose particular areas but rather to try to illustrate the nature of areas that could be suitable.

• The Fitzgerald coast
  The coast between the mouth of the Fitzgerald River and Quoin Head has no vehicular access and the land is a National Park. Its rocky headlands and little beaches would easily fit the wilderness fishing description for coastal hikers. In an area like this it might be necessary to limit the zone to near shore areas to minimise conflict with commercial fishing interests.
  
  
• The coast between Hopetoun and Esperance
  This coast could be suitable as wilderness or low impact fishing areas. It has good vehicular access behind the beach in the western section and could provide limited campsites. Like the previous area it can provide fishing for silver trevally, herring and sea sweep.
  
  
• The Gascoyne coast
  It was for this area that the concept of wilderness fishing was first proposed but unfortunately political and bureaucratic warfare has almost destroyed the opportunities for open-minded discussion of possibilities in this area. Under different circumstances there may still be chances for wilderness or low impact coastal fishing areas in this region.
  
  
• The Kimberley
  In this region there are many areas which would still be suitable for coastal wilderness fishing areas and for riverine wilderness fishing areas. In this region the rights and interests of indigenous people would have to have first consideration but this should certainly not be a bar to careful proposals and arrangements.

When I talk with people from conservation agencies at meetings they are surprised at how much recreational fishers' actually care about their resource. When I mention examples such as the Cockburn Sound snapper closure and the depth release device which were both initiated by, advocated for, and implemented by the recreational sector they are amazed. What they don't realise is that the sustainability of fish stocks means just as much to us as them, because without it we can't fish. What we disagree on is that with adequate compromises we can continue to fish in areas that have a high ecological value whilst having a very low impact. That is the major principle behind the Recfishwest wilderness fishing policy.



This page last updated on 17 January 2007.