Greenlip abalone fishing ban staying in place between Busselton Jetty and Shoal Cape amid stock recovery needs

Recreational fishers in the State’s south are being reminded a sought after abalone will remain off limits this summer. The seven-month recreational abalone season along the coast between Busselton Jetty and Shoal Cape, located between Esperance and Hopetoun, started again on Tuesday. But a ban on fishing for greenlip abalone, which was announced by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development two weeks before the last season was set to commence, will remain in place this summer while stocks recover from past marine heatwaves. The go ahead to recommence fishing for the prized species is not set to happen until fisheries research scientists believe there has been a sufficient recovery. Commercial fishing has also been banned. Southern regional compliance director Noel Chambers said marine and fisheries officers would be conducting land and sea patrols to ensure the rules were being followed. “The no-take zone is aimed at taking the fishing pressure off greenlip abalone, to help the species recover, and was developed in consultation with Recfishwest,” he said. Mr Chambers urged fishers to read the department’s recreational fishing guide to understand the difference between greenlip abalone and brownlip abalone, which is still allowed to be caught. “Always be careful not to remove an abalone from its habitat, without knowing what species it is,” he said. “The aim is for all recreational fishers to play their part in the recovery of (the ban) zone greenlip stocks and fish with care.” Greenlip abalone is still able to be caught from east of Shoal Cape all the way to the South Australian border.