Australia Considers Creation of Wilderness Fishing Areas

A recent article published in PerthNow briefly describes the possible creation of wilderness fishing areas in Western Australia. Recreational fishing would be allowed in these areas, but fish could not be transported out of them.

These areas would primarily be for catch and release fishing. Persons fishing within a wilderness zone who wanted to keep fish for eating would be allowed to do so; however, their bag limits would be reduced and they would be required to consume any harvested fish on site, and not take them outside the wilderness zone.

This is a really nice compromise between use of catch and release as a conservation measure and recognition that some species of fish are pursued almost exclusively as food: allowing only catch and release fishing would displace anglers who target these species. Also, allowing consumption of fish, even under restricted conditions, maintains the historic validity of fishing as a means of procuring food.