From July 1, customers of many of Western Australia's charter fishing operators, from Kalbarri to Augusta, will be banned from catching species such as Dhufish and Pink Snapper, as government restrictions on the popular fish come into effect.
The state government has set up various schemes in an attempt to ease what they acknowledged was a significant impact on business owners, but the peak industry body says it's not enough to keep them afloat.
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said a newly introduced tag system will mean 78 of the 99 charter license holders in WA's West Coast Bioregion will be completely banned from catching demersal scalefish. The remaining 21 operators received a share of 6000 tags, which represent their bag limit for the year.
The tag allocation was based on each operator's history of catching demersal scalefish. The more they've caught in the past 5 years, they more tags they got. This system, Dr Rowland said, has left regional charters hanging out to dry.
"A lot of small operators in regional locations have fallen through the gaps, because they didn't meet the minimum threshold of catch history to be issued any tags."
"They've followed the 'fish for the future' mantra. They've done all the right things, and unfortunately they've been penalised."
While the government has offered to buy back commercial fishing licenses - which saw a 12 per cent reduction in bag limit - no such offer has been made to charter operators who face a 70 per cent cut. Instead, those who have tags are eligible for a $20,000 grant, while those that didn't have been offered just $5,000.
Charter fishing operating licenses can cost as much as $70,000.
"To offer $5,000 is cold comfort when licence values have likely just fallen by ten times that amount," Dr Rowland said.
"The tag allocation process completely fails to factor in the valuable service provided by the charter sector, getting the most from each fish and doing what's right and fair."
One South West operator who received no tags is Damien Billi, who owns and operates Big Stoinka Marine Adventures with his brother.
Mr Billi's business was inspired by his autistic daughter, who loves fishing. Operating throughout the South-West, he offers smaller charters for people with special needs who are not comfortable with big crowds.
Despite this, he was unable to get an exemption to the demersal ban, and received an email four weeks before the July 1 deadline informing him he would have to stop catching demersal scalefish. Now he says his charter business is on the ropes.
"We have all types of people. Those who've been in car accidents, people living with mental health issues, the whole lot. But the service is gone now," he said.
"They talk about a redundancy of $5000, or $20,000. That wouldn't even pay for the insurance and pen fees for the year."
His Billi's boat, Reel Therapy, has been outfitted with a ramp which allows wheelchair users, and those with difficulty walking, to fish from the bow - an expensive modification to the hull structure, and therefore a rare offering.
Without the ability to catch the popular Snapper and Dhufish, he said the trip is no longer worth it to his clients, who can catch the same Herring or Blowfish from a jetty.
"(Fisheries Minister Don Punch) will say you can go catch this or that. You don't get it mate. You can't just go and target Herring. They want the experience," Mr Billi said.
"It's going to decimate the industry."
Operators still have the option to take clients out and target other species, or operate purely on a catch and release basis. But Mr Billi said that's no way to draw customers, many of which travel from Perth, or even interstate to catch just one WA Dhufish.
"I had a group of guys on here. One of them had six months to live. It was their bucket list to come to WA, go to Margaret River, and catch a Western Australian Dhufish," Mr Billi said.
"We're not out there to catch the bag limit, we're out there for the whole experience. We love it. You come as a stranger, and leave as a mate. That opportunity's gone now."
Mr Billi and Dr Rowland both highlighted the value in tourism these businesses bring. Mr Billi said, once you factor in travel expenses, each fish caught on his small boat represents thousands of dollars for the local economy.
"If I get one person on this boat, he comes down from Perth, they stay at accommodation, he comes out with me all day. You're talking probably $5000 per fish."
As the tag system only applies to the West Coast Bioregion, an area stretching from Kalbarri to Augusta, Mr Billi does have the option of moving his business up north. But that requires a separate licence - which has recently become more expensive - and he said the bans in the south have made the prospect of moving a risky one.
"Why would you go and invest money into the next Bioregion when they could probably close that in a year's time?"
Mr Billi said he agrees with the Department of Fisheries' motivation to preserve demersal fish stocks, but disagrees with their method.
He proposed removing a small percentage of the commercial bag limit, and allocating it to more charters, as well as banning fishing in Dhufish breeding grounds entirely.
"Off the cape, there's a strip where the Dhuies go to do their thing. Cordon that area off. Do a couple more up the coast, and leave them there for 12 months, open them for two months.
"This was all put forward, but they won't listen to it."
