THE blue swimmer crab is the most popular species sought by recreational fishers and, as the weather warms up, many are thinking about getting a feed of crabs from locations around WA.
At this time of year in many popular crabbing locations, including Mandurah and the Peel region, fishers will encounter high numbers of undersized crabs that need to be left to grow so they can be fished later, after they have reached legal size.
Protecting juvenile crabs is an important reason for the new rule where undersized crabs must be released to the water before attempting to catch any further crabs.
The other new rule to be aware of is that all raw uncooked crabs must be kept in whole form, unless they are being prepared for immediate consumption.