The newly-increased closure for catching blue swimmer crabs will come into affect this weekend, with scouring for the species prohibited for three months from Sunday, September 1.
The closure, which has lasted just two months in previous years, was stretched to three following an announcement by WA Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly in Mandurah earlier this month.
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Under the new reform, fishing for blue swimmer crabs will be prohibited in waters ranging from the Swan and Canning rivers in the north to Bunbury's Minninup Beach in the south, a stretch that includes the Peel region's waterways.
The change was brought in to help safeguard vulnerable female crabs and allow them more time to reproduce, in an effort to restock numbers of the species.
When the season reopens on December 1, a new bag limit of five blue swimmers applies to recreational fishers in the Swan and Canning rivers, but the current limit of 10 will remain for the Peel-Harvey Estuary.
Upon announcing the changes last week, Recfishwest chief executive officer Andrew Rowland stated they were a win for Mandurah's iconic species.
"The blue swimmer is part of Mandurah and the Peel region's lifestyle, and it's a big part of the economy here," he said.
"We expect to see improvement in stocks and the quality of crabs people are able to catch within two to three years, so it's a big win for the local area."
For more details on the changes for blue swimmer crabs visit fish.wa.gov.au
