Out There Fishing

Fresh crabs today caught this morning pm for pick up .

Breaking in the new model generational fisherman. The mould is just not the same as the old models

FRESH BLUE MANNA CRABS for sale today PM for pick up in albany

Guys these Albany HERRING go beyond absolutely amazing .Had a couple for breakfast and couple more for tea in wrap with salad .A credit to the hard work of the westerberg family and those involved in making it happen. I be camped at there factory on Monday for another box .

The Herring is IN!! Head down to our factory to get a little 2.5kg box of crumbed Albany Herring fillets! Such a great product for the whole family to enjoy.

Its time…

If there are any lawyers out there who might be following who want to:

*Help us interpret government/DPIRD wording in letters and emails.
*Help us understand actual gazetted rules &
*Help us explore options for a fishing licence being transferred 1 week before the announcement of the fishing bans.

Please get in touch.
0427124445

These numbers represent real people and real communities.
$426 million in production value. $1.182 billion flowing through our state's economy.

When fishing bans and restrictions come through, the impact goes far beyond the boats on the water. Processors, retailers, transport operators, regional towns, they all feel it. That's over a billion dollars of economic activity that supports thousands of families and businesses across Western Australia.

Our commercial fishing sector provides food security and keeps money circulating in local communities. When we lose access to sustainable fisheries, we're not just losing an industry, we're losing economic stability and the people who've built their lives around it.

📊 Source: BDO 2025

Get along have your say at this meeting. It to late when southcoast is put under pressure

ALBANY FISHING FORUM

Join myself along with Nationals WA Leader - Shane Love MLA and
Kirrilee Warr MLA - Shadow Minister for Fisheries, in Albany for a forum on the Cook Labor Government’s demersal fishing bans.

Retravision Stadium
Thursday 29 January 2026
5:30pm
156 Lockyer Ave, Albany

Registrations essential (limited spaces)
Register here: https://www.trybooking.com/DIRIV

This is your chance to be heard. Bring your ideas for solutions.

If you care about the future of fishing in WA, we want to hear from you.

Here is a break down of what they minster has said and the lies peddled .From another state looking at this grubby Labor government enept debacle

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 “𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥” 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

The Minister says industry wasn’t blindsided.
Her own interview says they 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞.

Minister Jarvis’s captain’s call has closed commercial fishing in the western zone off Perth 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫. In a recent interview, she confirmed that the decision was based on claims about scientific advice that simply 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭.

In trying to argue industry was fully informed, the Minister instead confirmed the opposite — that a 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

Let’s use the Minister’s statements alone.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 — 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭:
• Science provided to her: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭
• Science publicly released: 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫
• Forum discussion: 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫
• Decision announced and implemented: 𝟏 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 (𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃)

That is 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 from first receipt of the science to total closure.

No long-term transition.
No multi-year adjustment pathway.
No staged implementation.
No prior signal that licence cancellation or permanent reallocation was even on the table.

Saying “we started discussions in August” doesn’t rebut blindsiding — 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐭.
On the Minister’s own account, four months ended 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐝

The Minister repeatedly claimed:
• the (DPIRD) science recommended a 𝟏𝟎-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧,
• recovery wouldn’t occur until after 𝟐𝟎𝟒𝟎,
• and the alternative was 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

But dhufish already had a 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 in place. Recovery to MSY was expected by 𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟎.

Here’s what the stock assessment actually says:
• Dhufish are 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 to meet the MSY target by 2030.
• Recovery is 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟒𝟎 under current settings.
• Reducing catches could 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲.

That wording matters.

𝐈𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬:
• the stock 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 under the existing framework,
• recovery is 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝, not absent,
• further reductions are about 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝, not avoiding collapse,
• there is 𝐧𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤,
• 𝐧𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠,
• and 𝐧𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬.

“May not recover by 2030” ≠ “must shut everything down.”
“May take until 2040” ≠ "extinction."
“Reducing catch” ≠ “commercial fishing must end.”

Catch limits go up and down under harvest strategies — 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭
Nothing in the science required:

• an immediate full closure,
• license cancellation, or
• permanent reallocation.

If the Minister believed commercial fishing should be phased out, that was a 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 — and it could have been done 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, with proper transition, staged reductions, and real adjustment support.

Instead, the interview confirms this was a 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, defended after the fact by 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬.

There is a vast difference between:
• “𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅,” 𝒂𝒏𝒅
• “𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.”

The assessment says the first.
The Minister falsely claimed the second.

And her own words now make it crystal clear:
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞.

This affects families, jobs, and your access to local seafood. Please share so more people understand the damage being done.

It's time to send a few emails with constructive ideas on how to turn this mess around, limit the damage, and save other regions. The same pain is felt on the west coast due to their wrongful position. Send an email to Mrs. Jackie Jarvis, minister for Fisheries. I hear she hasn't heard from many people from the south coast regions with their concerns for their area. For fishing-related matters, email [email protected] or Jackie's ministerial office at [email protected]. Be as courteous and constructive as possible; everything is worth a shot for recreational and commercial south coast fishers.

Feel for those effected and surpport them.But now its impacted will be felt futher in other regions and fisherys out of side westcoast and cause implications for those other fisherys.

Hey gang, its been an overwhelming few weeks for us. Ive been doing stories with reporters, sitting down with politicians, recording podcasts, spreading the word as loudly as I can about the insane deletion of our fisheries, particularly in the South West. All whilst trying to run a fishing vessel, a processing facility and a retail shop through the busiest period of the year, simultaneously bracing for the impact of potentially closing all of these businesses, and damage control, scrambling for a way to move forward in 2026, keeping staff employed and the public fed. At home, a supporting and loving wife, a 6 week old baby boy and 2 toddlers who also need my support and reassurance. Its been, and is a lot.

The worst part is, the deletion of south west wetline and shark fisheries will not make any difference to the stock levels of Dhufish or Pink Snapper. All of the science and even the department of fisheries supports both of these fisheries. They are sustainable, they are targeted. There are very simple and easy ways to further avoid Dhufish and Snapper for both these fisheries.

For now, it seems there will be no change to the decision. The government is arrogant in its majority vote and feels free to make decisions based on back room deals and hidden handshakes that garner votes, rather than data, simple mathematics, factual evidence and science led discussion.

We retain a south coast line licence. We can operate it until the 30th of April and then not again until the 1st October. We understand such an enormous gap in supply is problematic to say the least. We also know that the Southern ocean is dangerous and difficult to work in, fishing days are limited and from experience I can say the volume of fish will be less.

Unfortunately we are in an impossible position with an incredibly short time frame to try and pivot, the price of our products will have to increase. Our supply will become more bespoke that it was previously and we will not have enough for everyone.

As always I will do my absolute best to support you all as much as youve supported me over the years and especially through the last month with your thoughts and prayers.