Media Release | 3 December 2025
Kirrilee Warr MLA
Shadow Minister for Fisheries
Shadow Minister for Fisheries Kirrilee Warr MLA says Western Australia’s fishing industry has been blindsided and devastated by the Cook Labor Government’s decision to permanently ban commercial demersal fishing across vast sections of the State.
Under the announcement, commercial demersal fishing will be permanently banned between Kalbarri and Augusta, and trawling operations in the Pilbara will cease.
Recreational fishers have been equally stunned having been told they will be unable to fish for demersal species between Kalbarri and Augusta, until September 2027.
“Recreational fishers have paid their licence fees in good faith. Now they are being told they cannot fish for demersal species for nearly two years. Will they be refunded?” Ms Warr said.
“When every sector of the fishing community is equally shocked, it is clear the Government’s so-called ‘consultation’ was either inadequate or non-existent.”
Ms Warr said the State Government has shown little regard for the economic and social impact on fishing families, many of whom woke this morning to discover their livelihoods had been wiped out.
“The decision this morning has blindsided the commercial fishing industry, they are absolutely devastated,” she said.
Ms Warr said families who have poured generations of investment into their vessels, equipment, quotas and regulatory compliance are now being told that an ill-defined buyback scheme will be their only way out.
“These businesses are worth far more than the token gestures being floated. Any compulsory buyback must reflect genuine market value, not a fraction of it. We cannot afford another botched compensation program,” she said.
“The forestry package was a disaster, the live sheep transition was abysmal, and commercial fishers must not be the Government’s next casualty.”
Ms Warr acknowledged that action is needed to address declining fish stocks in Western Australia but said it is indefensible that the Government ignored warning signs for nine years.
“This crisis didn’t appear overnight. It is the direct result of a Government that failed to monitor, failed to plan and failed to consult.”
Ms Warr said the impacts will ripple through regional communities that rely heavily on fishing to sustain local economies.
“Tourism, small businesses, charter operators, local accommodation, entire local economies built around fishing are now facing severe disruption,” she said.
“These are towns where fishing is not just an activity; it is part of the identity, the culture, and the social fabric.”
Ms Warr also said there is real concern that the closures will place unsustainable pressure on fisheries and community infrastructure in areas that remain open, such as Shark Bay.
ENDS
