Albany salmon season a family affair for Betty’s Beach team

After more than six decades, generations of Benson and Mouchemore families have got salmon fishing down to a fine art at their corner of Betty’s Beach. For about six weeks each year from March to April, the families make the trip to the shacks overlooking the bay, east of Albany, for salmon season. Commercial fisherman Paul Benson said the team was up before dawn with a cup of coffee waiting for daybreak and any sign of a school shimmering beneath the turquoise water. The season was in full swing on Thursday, with a contingent of family members pitching in to catch about eight tonnes of salmon, or about 1600 fish. “Our families make up the crew, a lot of them these days are older and retired but still get the job done,” Mr Benson said. “I’ve personally been doing it for 55 years but the families has been here since 1957.” Mr Benson said he was so far optimistic about this year’s season, which got off to an early start with catches in the first two weeks of March. “Most of our fish are caught early morning here or at least before 10am in the morning,” he said. “But they are unpredictable and can come at any time, and we have to look out for schools of salmon. “As soon as salmon are sighted you get prepared and ready to shoot the net around as the school comes along. It is only one shot, so we have got to wait until they are right in position and we shoot the net around and then haul it in close to shore.” Once caught, salmon are then put into ice boxes and shipped off to market in Albany and Fremantle. The families average just over 200 tonnes of salmon a year and 50-80 tonnes of herring. Mr Benson said salmon fishing was an important family tradition he was passionate about keeping alive amid a changing climate and industry. “Kids, grandkids they all become part of it, it is a great family business,” he said. “We really feel strongly about keeping the tradition going. It has gone through some very tough times. “Climate change over the last 10 years has given us warmer water temperatures, and in the warmer temperatures the fish seem to travel further offshore so they are harder to catch. “There has been a decline in sardines and we think that salmon are now travelling further offshore because the food source is further offshore. “We have had the decline of the market due to the processing and main processor in Albany closing down some years ago. “But now we have a new up-and-coming facility in Albany at Albany Seafoods and things are sort of on the up and up.” If all goes to plan the team will be able to fish for herring later this month, for the first time in six years after operations were shut down because of concerns over stock levels. “The herring fishery is also a very important part of our operation here,” Mr Benson said. “Research has shown that the stock has returned to normal or near-normal and this year we are looking forward to being able to take some herring again. “So that is something we are really looking forward to.”