Fisheries management success has garfish back on the Perth menu

• Fishing for southern garfish off Perth coast to resume from Friday, 1 March
• Reduced fishing pressure over the seven-year closure has helped stocks recover

Perth's recreational fishers will soon be back in action to catch southern garfish from Lancelin to Myalup, with stocks recovering to sustainable limits.

The current abundance of the species will enable the 2017 closure to be lifted and fishing for 'gardies' can resume along the metro coast from Friday, March 1.

A combination of fishing and environmental pressures led to the need to introduce a closure back in 2017. With this recovery, we are able to resume fishing with recreational catches to be monitored through the recreational Statewide survey and the Metropolitan Monitoring Program.

Southern garfish is part of the Statewide mixed species bag limit of 30 per person per day.

Other species in the mixed species bag limit are finfish like whiting, mullet, blue mackerel, western butterfish, yellowtail scad, western striped grunter, banded sweep and other species not specifically listed, excluding baitfish and feral freshwater species.

Recreational fishers can also help the fishery research effort to monitor the ongoing health of the species by donating southern garfish fish frames through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD's) Send us your skeletons program.

Commercial fishing of garfish will also resume which will be subject to catch limits and fishers will provide information and biological samples to support sustainability of southern garfish into the future.

Comments attributed to Fisheries Minister Don Punch:

"This is great news for recreational fishers who've not been able to fish for southern garfish in metropolitan waters for seven years while the fishery was managed to allow stock recovery.

"This is a really encouraging result and demonstrates the importance and success of taking action to rebuild our fisheries to sustainable levels.

"Fishing for southern garfish will provide a highly accessible recreational fishing opportunity, with the species being well suited to both land and boat-based fishing, so I am sure fishers will be pleased to target this species again.

"DPIRD has a proven record in the recovery of fish stocks as seen in the herring fishery, and now in helping southern garfish rebound.

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