Despite Western Australia’s vast coastline and small population relative to the east coast, recreational fishers make up a substantial and growing proportion of the total catch from the state. It was generally the demersal species that were the main drawcard, however, with recent closures and restrictions many of the more avid recreational fishers have diversified their target species. This has been actively promoted by the state government through the ‘switch your fish’ campaign and fisheries enhancement programs such as the introduction of a statewide network of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). Since the commencement of pilot FAD program in 2019, the network has grown from 28 to 48 FADs from Albany to Broome. These FADs have also provided a research platform from which to monitor utilisation rates of the FADs and study the species attracted to FADs.
To gain a better understanding of how recreational fishers are utilising the FADs, time-lapse cameras mounted at the top of each FAD were trialled in 2024-25. Following a successful trial, these cameras were then rolled out to a third of the FADs south of Shark Bay during the 2025-26 season. In addition to quantifying fishing effort at each FAD, these cameras are also providing insights into how the FADs are being fished (e.g. time of day, duration of fishing event, vessel movement between FADs etc.). Beneath the water, the fisheries team has begun tagging mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), the most caught species at the FADs, using a combination of pop-up satellite and acoustic tags to better understand the movements of this popular species which is poorly understood in WA.
This presentation will detail the journey Western Australia has taken to implement a statewide network of FADs and describe the preliminary results after two years of recreational boat monitoring and one season of tagging.