Publication Date

12-2025

Series Number

Fisheries Research Report No. 363

Publisher

State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development)

City

Perth

ISBN

978-1-925415-24-7

ISSN

1035-4549

Abstract

South-West Freshwater Angling (SWFA) in Western Australia is a licensed fishery primarily targeting the Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which are stocked in selected dams and rivers, as well as the introduced Redfin Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and the native Freshwater Cobbler (Tandanus bostocki). Since 2000/01, annual phone-recall surveys have been undertaken using the SWFA licence database as the sampling frame. This monitoring provides information to understand the fishery and support future management decisions. For the first time, data are reported by basin for different waterbody types (public dams, rivers) as well as for specific key fishing locations and at a fishery level.

Participation in this fishery by SWFA licence holders in 2024/25 (1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025) was 53% of licence holders or 5,168 fishers (95%CI 4,962 – 5,375). Fishing effort for freshwater angling by licensed fishers (any species) in 2024/25 was 33,197 days fished (29,962 – 36,432); of which 54% or 17,826 (15,540 – 20,111) was in rivers and 46% or 15,372 (13,407 – 17,337) in dams. Five hydrographic basins captured 81% of the fishing effort with the Harvey Basin, Collie Basin, Warren Basin, Blackwood Basin and Murray Basin having the highest effort. Fishing effort in these basins was predominantly from the Harvey Dam (Harvey Basin), Wellington Dam and Collie River (Collie Basin), Warren River (Warren Basin) and Blackwood River (Blackwood Basin).

Of the four species for which a SWFA licence is required, Redfin Perch dominated the total catch (retained and released; numbers) in 2024/25 with 77%, followed by Rainbow Trout (16%), Brown Trout (5%) and Freshwater Cobbler (2%). A SWFA licence is not required to catch Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri). However, as this species can be found in non-tidal waters, catches of this species are also reported, and equate to around two-thirds of the Redfin Perch catch.

Total catch (retained and released; numbers) of the four licensed SWFA species in 2024/25 was 49,065 individuals (95%CI 39,697 – 58,433); of which 32% or 15,704 (11,914 – 19,495) were caught in rivers and 68% or 33,361 (25,470 – 41,252) in dams. Five basins captured 94% of the total catch with the Harvey Basin, Collie Basin, Warren Basin, Murray Basin and Blackwood Basin having the highest catches. Total catch in these basins was predominantly from the Harvey Dam and Drakes Brook Dam (Harvey Basin), Wellington Dam and Collie River (Collie Basin) and Warren River (Warren Basin).

The SWFA fishery is managed under a constant catch harvest strategy, with a total catch (retained and released) tolerance level of 50,000 – 120,000 individuals. In 2024/25, the total catch range (95% confidence intervals 39,697 – 58,433) for the SWFA fishery was within the tolerance level. The total catch range has been within the tolerance level in all years except 2011/12, where the total catch range was lower (24,347 – 46,451). The viability of this fishery and survival of these species may be influenced by the effects of environmental (e.g., habitat loss, reduction in rainfall) and human (e.g., land clearing) pressures on freshwater ecosystems.

Number of Pages

27

Keywords

Recreational fishing, Phone-recall survey, Redfin Perch, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries

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