Media Release | 19 December 2025
Kirrilee Warr MLA
Shadow Minister for Fisheries
Shadow Minister for Fisheries Kirrilee Warr MLA has slammed the Cook Labor Government’s mid-year budget review, saying fishers had been forgotten.
Ms Warr said that in the wake of the demersal fishing bans and the establishment of the South Coast Marine Park, the sector deserved far more than $35 million.
“This Government’s attempt at compensation for shutting down industries in multiple parts of the State is pathetic,” she said.
“For commercial demersal fishers, the $29 million compensation package will not scratch the surface of what our fishing families are set to lose, and the money spread over two years means people won’t be able to access these funds immediately.
“These people have mortgages to pay off, loans on their boats, and the Government doesn’t seem to care.”
Meanwhile, $6 million that has been put aside for those affected by the South Coast Marine Park to voluntarily surrender their fishing licenses.
Ms Warr said it was nothing more than a “token gesture”.
“Those who fish in the South Coast Marine Park have effectively been given the same death notice as our West Coast demersal fishers,” she said.
“For some license holders, it’s double the pain with no real relief.
“This Government continues to make heavy-handed decisions without consulting those involved, and which potentially affect thousands of residents across WA.”
Ms Warr said the flow-on effects from the fall of the industry was something the State Government refuses to acknowledge.
“We have a Premier and a Fisheries Minister who won’t face the industries that they have ended at the eleventh hour,” she said.
“The ban will affect hospitality, boat dealers, fishmongers, tackle shops, and everyday Western Australians who want to get fish and chips on a Friday night.
The Nationals WA have launched a petition calling for an inquiry into WA’s fishing industry, which can be signed on the WA Parliament website.
ENDS
