The Minister for Fisheries has issued a warning to fishers that the popular annual run of Australian salmon is due this month but it comes with the risky increase of shark encounters.
The Minister, Don Punch has called on fishers to put safety first by keeping sand between their toes and fish from beaches to avoid the dangers of rock fishing,
Mr Punch said recreational fishers were also urged to bleed their catch well away from the water’s edge and discard fish waste responsibly, away from swimmers and other water users.
“Spear fishers should remove all speared fish from the water quickly and should not carry dead or bleeding fish attached to their person,” he said.
The Minister said as the salmon herded and fed on baitfish close to shore, the schools of fish could attract large marine predators, including a range of shark species.
He said fishers, swimmers and surfers were reminded to keep clear of large schools of fish and follow the Sea Sense safety advice on the SharkSmart website.
Mr Punch said schools of salmon could already be found off the Western Australian coast, migrating westward from early March to late April.
“The large aggregations of salmon are part of their lifecycle, as they spawn during autumn and the Leeuwin Current then helps disperse their eggs and larvae to coastal nurseries,” he said.
“Before heading to the beach, please download the SharkSmart app, which you can use to check for shark activity and access a quick call link for reporting shark sightings to Water Police.”
Safety advice can be accessed on the SharkSmart website at this PS News link.
