We, the undersigned residents of Western Australia, are opposed to Fish Traps from Shark Bay to Coral Bay as they will have a detrimental impact on marine ecology and our tourism and recreational fishing economy.

Fish traps present many environmental concerns including the depletion of entire stocks of fish in an area when fish traps are used as commercial fishers attempt to fill their quotas around recreational fishing areas, the unacceptable risk of traps being lost and fishing “forever”, the impact on recreational fishing areas and damage to juvenile fish as the traps are raised and as juveniles are released at the surface.

Recreational Fishing is an important pastime in the Gascoyne both for visitors and locals. This proposal has the potential to decimate recreational fishing, resulting in significant economic losses in the recreational fishing and tourism sector.

The proposal would allow Trap fishing from Shark Bay to Coral Bay one of the most pristine areas of the Australian coast. The damage Fish Traps would cause on sensitive coral areas would be irreparable.

“I urge everyone to sign the petition, call the office for a bumper sticker and write to Recfish and Minister for Fisheries to express their concerns about this proposal. The deadline for comment is 24th of February so please act now. If we don’t make our voices heard this trial will go ahead and it will be too late for our fish and our fishing future.” - Vince Catania MLA, Member for North West Central.