{
  "id": 18610757,
  "title": "Trust hard to come by as WA's demersal fishing ban faces scrutiny",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/trust-hard-to-come-by-as-was-demersal-fishing-ban-faces-scrutiny",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T01:10:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-11-07/demersal-fishing-ban-what-happened-wa-parliament/107341266"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Western Australia's demersal fishing ban, implemented this year, has been under intense scrutiny during a three-day parliamentary inquiry. The ban prohibits the catch of popular species like pink snapper, red emperor, and dhufish along much of the WA coast. The committee chair called for calm amidst a heated and emotional debate.\n\nThe inquiry revealed deep divides over how the Cook government is managing the state's fish stocks. Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis banned trawl fishers in the Pilbara, halved catches in other demersal fisheries, and closed the West Coast demersal fishery. She cited the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD) assessment that demersal fish were severely threatened and that harsh rules were necessary to protect them from extinction.\n\nConservation groups welcomed the ban, but the recreational and commercial fishing sectors strongly criticized it. WAFIC chief executive Manue Daniels expressed deep trust issues in fisheries management, stating that the inquiry should establish what went wrong and what must change to prevent future mistakes. WAFIC had been raising concerns about overfishing by the recreational sector for over 20 years, but their requests for action remained unanswered.\n\nFish retailers reported failing businesses due to plummeting sales and increasing fish prices. Daniels emphasized that fish are a publicly owned resource and questioned why recreational fishers would be the last to access them while commercial access is reduced. Third-generation shark fisher Nick Soulos, whose license was cancelled despite not exceeding limits, criticized the government's decision, stating that 200 tonnes of shark entered the market, while only 3 tonnes of dhufish were allowed.\n\nThe inquiry is examining fisheries management, marine parks, renewable energy development, seismic testing, and shark depredation. Former WA Fisheries chief scientist Jim Penn testified that DPIRD lacked experience and expertise, with multiple errors in demersal stock assessments. Despite this, DPIRD Director General Heather Brayford defended the department's research, stating that demersal scalefish stocks had not recovered in two decades, with dhufish in worse condition than in 2006. The committee aims to deliver its final report by June next year.",
  "summary": "Three days of parliamentary hearings have exposed ongoing divisions over fisheries science, management decisions and the ongoing access to fish stocks, with calls for greater transparency.",
  "key_points": [
    "Western Australia's demersal fishing ban faces intense scrutiny during parliamentary inquiry",
    "Conservation groups welcome ban, while fishing sectors criticize lack of trust in management"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}