Fisheries Research Report No. 297 Statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2017/18 K.L. Ryan, N.G. Hall, E.K. Lai, C.B. Smallwood, A. Tate, S.M. Taylor, B.S. Wise December 2019 8562 /15 Correct citation: Ryan KL, Hall NG, Lai EK, Smallwood CB, Tate A, Taylor SM, Wise BS 2019. Statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2017/18. Fisheries Research Report No. 297, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia. 195pp. 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 Fish Illustrations © R.Swainston/www.anima.net.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: 978-1-921258-32-9 (Print) ISSN: 2202-5758 (Online) ISBN: 978-1-921258-33-6 (Online) Copyright © State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development) 2019. ii Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 297 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 Surveys ........................................................................... 20 Phone-Diary Survey Expansion, Weighting and Analysis .............................. 20 Uncertainty .......................................................................................................... 22 Reporting Notes ................................................................................................... 22 3 Participation .............................................................................................. 24 Fishing Participation........................................................................................... 24 Kimberley ............................................................................................................ 26 Pilbara .................................................................................................................. 27 Gascoyne .............................................................................................................. 28 Mid West .............................................................................................................. 29 Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 297 iii Wheatbelt ............................................................................................................. 30 Perth Metropolitan ............................................................................................. 31 Peel........................................................................................................................ 32 South West ........................................................................................................... 33 Great Southern ............................................................................................... 34 Goldfields-Esperance...................................................................................... 35 Interstate.......................................................................................................... 36 4 Fishing Effort ............................................................................................ 37 Statewide .............................................................................................................. 39 North Coast .......................................................................................................... 40 Gascoyne Coast ................................................................................................... 41 West Coast ........................................................................................................... 42 South Coast .......................................................................................................... 43 5 Statewide Estimates of Recreational Catch ........................................... 44 Annual Catch (Total, Kept and Released Numbers) ....................................... 44 Release Rates ....................................................................................................... 44 Reasons for Release ............................................................................................. 45 6 Estimates of Catch for Key Species ........................................................ 58 Estuarine .............................................................................................................. 60 6.1.1 Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) ................................................................... 60 6.1.2 Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) .................................................... 61 6.1.3 Estuary Cobbler (Cnidoglanis macrocephalus) ........................................ 62 6.1.4 Southern Bluespotted Flathead (Platycephalus speculator) ..................... 63 6.1.5 Yellowtail Flathead (Platycephalus westraliae) ....................................... 64 Nearshore ............................................................................................................. 65 6.2.1 Australian Herring (Arripis georgianus) ................................................... 65 6.2.2 Western Australian Salmon (Arripis truttaceus) ....................................... 66 6.2.3 Western Yellowfin Bream (Acanthopagrus morrisoni) ............................ 67 6.2.4 Chinaman Rockcod (Epinephelus rivulatus) ............................................. 68 6.2.5 Grunters (Pelsartia humeralis and Pelates octolineatus).......................... 69 6.2.6 Garfish (Hyporhamphus melanochir and Hemiramphus robustus) .......... 70 6.2.7 Leatherjacket (Family Monacanthidae)..................................................... 71 6.2.8 Mullet (Family Mugilidae) ........................................................................ 72 iv Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 297 6.2.9 Tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) .................................................................... 73 6.2.10 Western Butterfish (Pentapodus vitta) .................................................... 74 6.2.11 Blue Threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) ..................................... 75 6.2.12 King Threadfin (Polydactylus macrochir) .............................................. 76 6.2.13 Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis) ........................................................... 77 6.2.14 Golden Trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus) ............................................. 78 6.2.15 Silver Trevally (Pseudocaranx spp. complex) ........................................ 79 6.2.16 Yellowtail Scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae) ......................................... 80 6.2.17 Mangrove Jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) .......................................... 81 6.2.18 Blue Mackerel (Scomber australasicus) ................................................. 82 6.2.19 Brownspotted Wrasse (Notolabrus