FADs program expanded as part of measures to recover the demersal scale fish population in WA

The WA Government has invested $1.5 Million in expanding its Fish Aggregating Devices program ahead of the first two-month demersal scale fish fishing closure on February 1. The fishing closure will only affect the waters of the west coast biosphere ranging from Kalbarri to Augusta with fishing for dhufish and pink snapper remaining unaffected in the Albany and south coast area. The aim of the FADs program is to encourage fishers to target pelagic fish species such as tuna and dolphinfish helping in the recovery of demersal scale fish stocks. In the expanded program, 18 new FADs will be installed across WA over the next six months in addition to the 22 FADS already deployed as part of the trial program, which started in November 2019. Four of the 22 FADs will again be deployed off Albany’s Eclipse Island before the end of summer, attracting large bait balls and the species that feed on them to the area. https://omny.fm/shows/the-west-live/newsbreak-donna-nelson-love-scam-brumfitt-us-tanks Albany’s FADS are deployed annually during summer and retrieved before the onset of winter storms. Fisheries Minister Don Punch said the additional $1.5 million investment to expand the FADs program would provide more exciting opportunities for anglers. “Switching your fish and targeting different species will allow other more vulnerable fish like dhufish and pink snapper time to recover to ensure there are plenty of fish for future generations to enjoy.” The expansion of the FADs program forms part of the State Government’s plan to boost sustainability with $10 million invested across a range of supporting measures. This includes a voluntary buyback of commercial fishing licenses, enhanced monitoring and research including digital reporting, expanding the juvenile pink snapper restocking program, a support package for charter operators to diversify tourism experiences and an expanded education and awareness program.