Salmon are often catch-and-release fish due to their tough nature and ability to be out of the water for longer periods of time. Photo credit: Vlad Victoria

Recreational fishers are turning to the long-held WA tradition of salmon-run fishing as a short-term sustainable fix to combat the state’s controversial fishing bans.

Late last year, the State Government introduced sweeping fishing reforms that ban the taking of demersal species – such as pink snapper and dhufish that live and feed near the bottom of the sea – between Kalbarri and Augusta until Spring 2007.

Commercial demersal fishing is permanently closed. The bans are in response to poor spawning and fish stocks that have pushed demersal fish species towards collapse.

RecFishWest spokesman Ben Carlish says the ban has forced many fishers to seek alternative species.

“Salmon fishing is one of those activities that is a great alternative to demersal fishing because they are not heavily fished by the commercial sector in Western Australia,” Mr Carlish said.

“They are very fast-growing pelagic fish, which makes them more sustainable than demersal fish, which are slow-growing and not as abundant as salmon.”

Each year, Western Australian salmon (Arripis truttaceus) migrate in large groups through the warm waters of the Leeuwin Current, from Bremer Bay to Perth, attracting thousands of fishers to Perth’s south coast beaches to participate in the autumn chase.


WA Fishing Industry Council interim CEO Manue Daniels said the government’s decision to close commercial and recreational fishing from Kalbarri to Augusta doesn’t reflect the science and has been widely condemned by the broader community.

“The truth is that there is a lot of water and a lot of fish off the WA coast, so there is enough for commercial and recreational fishers if the resource is managed correctly,” Ms Daniels said.

In 2023, DPIRD and fisheries officials conducted a stock and risk assessment on WA salmon and found the species to be at low risk as the “total catch will be maintained at near current levels over the next five years”.

The Department of Primary and Regional Development officials said they hope to play their part for future generations of fishers by allowing species such as WA dhufish, pink snapper and red emperor to regenerate their stocks.

“During this period, DPIRD is encouraging recreational fishers to explore other sustainable fishing experiences, including fishing for Western Australian Salmon,” a DPIRD Spokesperson said.