Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Fisheries Research Report No. 287 Statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2015/16 K.L. Ryan, N.G. Hall, E.K. Lai, C.B. Smallwood, S.M. Taylor, B.S. Wise Fisheries Research Report No. 287 December 2017 Correct citation: Ryan KL, Hall NG, Lai EK, Smallwood CB, Taylor SM, Wise BS 2017. Statewide survey of boat- based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2015/16. Fisheries Research Report No. 287, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia. 205pp. Enquiries: WA Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, PO Box 20, North Beach, WA 6920 Tel: +61 8 9203 0111 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fish.wa.gov.au A complete list of Fisheries Research Reports is available online at www.fish.wa.gov.au Important disclaimer The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Gordon Stephenson House 140 William Street PERTH WA 6000 Telephone: (08) 6551 4444 Website: dpird.wa.gov.au ABN: 18 951 343 745 ISSN: 1035-4549 (Print) ISBN: 978-1-921258-00-8 (Print) ISSN: 2202-5758 (Online) ISBN: 978-1-921258-01-5 (Online) Copyright © Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 2017. 4874/17 ii Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 287 Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................... ix 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 Importance of Recreational Fishing in Western Australia .................................... 1 Need for Recreational Fishing Information............................................................. 1 Recreational Fishing Surveys in Australia .............................................................. 2 Recreational Fishing Surveys in Western Australia ............................................... 3 Statewide Survey of boat-based Recreational Fishing ........................................... 4 Survey Objectives ....................................................................................................... 4 Report Structure ........................................................................................................ 4 2 Survey Design and Analysis ........................................................................... 6 Survey scope ............................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Who was included in the survey? ..................................................................... 6 2.1.2 What fishing activities were covered?.............................................................. 7 2.1.3 What species were covered?............................................................................. 7 2.1.4 Survey Area ...................................................................................................... 8 2.1.5 Survey Duration ............................................................................................... 8 2.1.6 Survey Data Elements ...................................................................................... 8 Survey Components ................................................................................................. 11 2.2.1 Phone Surveys ................................................................................................ 11 2.2.2 Boat Ramp Surveys ........................................................................................ 19 2.2.3 Remote Camera Survey .................................................................................. 20 Phone-Diary Survey Expansion, Weighting and Analysis ................................... 21 Uncertainty ............................................................................................................... 22 Reporting Notes ........................................................................................................ 23 3 Participation ................................................................................................... 24 Fishing Participation................................................................................................ 24 Kimberley ................................................................................................................. 26 Pilbara ....................................................................................................................... 27 Gascoyne ................................................................................................................... 28 Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 287 iii Mid West ................................................................................................................... 29 Wheatbelt .................................................................................................................. 30 Perth Metropolitan .................................................................................................. 31 Peel............................................................................................................................. 32 South West ................................................................................................................ 33 Great Southern .................................................................................................... 34 Goldfields-Esperance........................................................................................... 35 Interstate............................................................................................................... 36 4 Fishing Effort ................................................................................................. 37 Statewide effort ........................................................................................................ 38 North Coast ............................................................................................................... 39 Gascoyne Coast ........................................................................................................ 40 West Coast ................................................................................................................ 41 South Coast ............................................................................................................... 42 5 Statewide Estimates of Recreational Catch ................................................ 43 Annual Catch (total, kept and released numbers) ................................................ 43 Release Rates ............................................................................................................ 43 Reasons for Release .................................................................................................. 44 6 Estimates of Catch for Key Species ............................................................. 61 Estuarine ................................................................................................................... 63 6.1.1 Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) ........................................................................ 63 6.1.2 Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) ......................................................... 64 6.1.3 Estuary Cobbler (Cnidoglanis macrocephalus) ............................................. 65 6.1.4 Yellowtail Flathead (Platycephalus westraliae) ............................................ 66 6.1.5 Southern Bluespotted Flathead (Platycephalus speculator) .......................... 67 Nearshore .................................................................................................................. 68 6.2.1 Australian Herring (Arripis georgianus) ........................................................ 68 6.2.2 Western Australian Salmon (Arripis truttaceus) ............................................ 69 6.2.3 Garfish (Hyporhamphus melanochir and Hemiramphus robustus) ............... 70 6.2.4 Sea Mullet (Mugil cephalus) .......................................................................... 71 6.2.5 Tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) ......................................................................... 72 6.2.6 Blue Threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) ............................................ 73 iv Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 287 6.2.7 King Threadfin (Polydactylus macrochir) ..................................................... 74 6.2.8 King George Whiting (Sillaginodes punctata) ............................................... 75 6.2.9 School Whiting (Sillago bassensis, vittata and schomburgkii) ...................... 76 6.2.10 Western Trumpeter Whiting (Sillago burrus) .............................................. 77 6.2.11 Mangrove Jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) ............................................... 78 6.2.12 Silver Trevally (Pseudocaranx spp. complex) ............................................. 79 6.2.13 Western Butterfish (Pentapodus vitta) ......................................................... 80 6.2.14 Western Yellowfin Bream (Acanthopagrus morrisoni) ............................... 81 6.2.15 Western King Wrasse (Coris auricularis)...................................................