Surf lifesavers on abalone patrol north of Ocean Reef Boat Harbour.
Camera IconSurf lifesavers on abalone patrol north of Ocean Reef Boat Harbour. Credit: Supplied/Surf Life Saving WA/Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter

Surf Life Saving WA receives grant for abalone fishing safety training

Lucy JarvisWanneroo Times

SURF Life Saving WA had welcomed a $330,000 abalone fisher safety grant.

The State Government grant will support activity done by SLSWA and its clubs to improve safety during the recreational abalone fishing season, which has seen five fishers die since 2012.

SLSWA lifesaving general manager Chris Peck said the organisation was delighted to receive the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund grant, which would be applied to initiatives across the key areas of prevention, rescue, education, research and regulation.

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Those initiatives include a training program for frontline volunteers specific to abalone rescue, as well as continued development of education resources and messaging, building on the abalone fishing safety campaign delivered by SLSWA in recent years.

“For many years our clubs and volunteer lifesavers have been taking on the responsibility of keeping abalone fishers safe during the four-hour west coast zone season, at both considerable cost and risk to the clubs and volunteers involved,” Mr Peck said.

“This grant also serves to recognise the essential safety service they are delivering to abalone fishers.

“While our lifesavers are trained to provide safety and rescue services at patrolled swimming beaches, the conditions and locations where abalone fishing is carried out provide specific challenges which require specialist training for our volunteers to ensure both their safety, and that of those whom they are required to assist.”

Fisheries Minister Peter Tinley announced the $331,523 grant, funded through recreational fishing licences, on February 27.

The funding will be allocated over three seasons up to and including the 2021-22 West Coast Zone season.

“Pre-fishing session forecasting by Surf Life Saving WA to assess the ocean’s safety risks ahead of each designated Saturday, plus the move to only allow fishing during summer when the lifesaving resources and volunteers are available is helping to keep abalone fishers safer,” Mr Tinley said.

During the 2019-20 season, SLSWA used more than 500 volunteer surf lifesavers, 41 rescue water craft, 34 inflatable rescue boats and six drones across the four one-hour fishing periods.

According to SLSWA, those resources, combined with favourable weather conditions, saw a fatality free season, however lifesavers carried out 15 rescues, gave first aid on 35 occasions and did 1019 preventative actions to keep fishers safe.

Compliance officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development issued 185 infringements or warnings.

That included 57 infringement fines of either $200 or $1000 to fishers for offences related to excess bag limits and there is one pending prosecution for a female fisher who obstructed an officer.

For more information, visit www.mybeach.com.au/abalone.