What new regs? Future regs that havent yet been finalised or even properly discussed?

The new (as in current, recently released) regs for the RFBL dont apply to charters, so their customers arent paying any fees except the charter costs.

"Fishing from Charter Boats: Fishers are not required to hold an RFBL when fishing as a paying customer from a licensed charter vessel. For management purposes, charter catch and participation information is provided to the Department of Fisheries through the charter company's log book returns."

Makes you wonder if theres another reason then, because it cant be the fees. Perhaps they just want an easy scapegoat as they wanted to get rid of the business anyways?
Though, the closed season could have an effect, but if they mentioned fees not closed periods then it seems a bit odd.

What I meant was pay the charter fee (cost) for a return of two demersals if their lucky. I wasn't referring to the RFBL fee. The closed season was also mentioned - Obviously not good for business.     

I went on a charter out from Mandurah in Feb, and only caught one fish, a 20+kg dhuie.  We weighed the fillets/wings once skinned and there was over 10kg of fillets.  The charter bloke said Dhuie was going for roughly $80 per kg at the time so theres $800 worth of fillets, minus cost of charter $150 = $650 fish.

I know its not everyday you get a dhuie like that, but still, makes you wonder what people expect to come home with on a charter. On the boat that day out of 8 people in our party, two did not catch anything, and the fillets were shared out amongst everyone.

I would be more than happy to come home with a nice dhuie and nothing else, just being on the water in the right conditions for a day and having a go also makes it worth it for me. I think it hard to look past the dollars though for some people when your paying about $240.00 as the last passengers on Kalbarri Explorer were, knowing that you cant bring home any more than two demersals. I know the last time I went out of Kalbarri, dhuie was certainly not shared around (Understandable), come to think of it,nothing was. The punters that caught the fish kept it all. Moat people don't look at the market price of fish they caught, they are more likely to look at it and say, there is only enough for X amount of meals.        

I had the worst charter experience of my life in Exmouth week and 1/2 ago. It was a shambles from start to finish, I'll prepared skipper who really didn't couldn't give a rats...No more business form me or the other punters on board, seems there are a few people around town there who have the same opinion..        

Shame to hear about that. I've been out on the KE a few times and been pretty impressed with the way they run the show. The skipper (Bob?) was always a good laugh too.

It was always a good day... I hear his boat is being leased now by a offshore oil company as a rig tender, and I hear that Bob is wetline fishing at the moment with shares in another boat.   

I've been out on the Kalbarri Explorer a couple of times and they produced fish both times. They were a quality operation, with service, lunch included, farmed their spots. Seemed to have it all. In places like Kalbarri (away from the bulk of the state population) you can expect to catch quality fish nearly every time on a good charter like KE. A real shame for sure.

All fishing charters fishing trawlers and recreational fisherman spear fisherman and land base fisherman have a massive effect on the environment n its quite hard to be sustainable and ecofriendly when the demand oceanic organisms is only going to become higher and higher. I know it might be wrong to say but the world is over populated the environment in many cases can simply not withstand the effects of such population growths.

in the not too distant future i reckon the motto will be "if we cant farm it we dont eat it!" Probably the only way to save the oceans with the population growths.

One of the only charters i would actually recommend to people.

Heard there is a new charter boat working out of town that doubles as a wetliner. Dont know how he runs the operation, but from what i heard he mainly wetlines and takes punters out here and there when he feels like it.

I think most customers that go on charters expect alot for their money. If thats the attitude then its not really fishing is it?? Better off going to the markets and buy the fish.

If boat owners have the same attitude then there'll be plenty of boats for sale. Fortunately its not.

The idea of fishing is to enjoy yourself and your company and relax.

This is good news for our fishstocks. I have worked the deck for a few charter boats and what I have witnessed at times is horrifying. IMO 80% of punters want their money back in fillets and it is a challenge at times to remind them of what overfishing of an area can do. That 80% don't give a sh!t about renawable resources  and couldn't care less about the area they are fishing in. I had to give it away because I was becoming a major part in the destruction of a fragile ecosystem just helping these punters fill their freezers......I feel ashamed of myself.

ignore double up

Shame to hear for the sake of the town if it goes on to affect the tourism trade. Kallbarri explorer was a great charter tho used to go out with them every year wen we'd do our yearly pilramige to Kal. Had much success every time. Very responisble and friendly skipper and great deckies, very educational and informative. Remember a time we were over a flare that the skip suspected might be a mulloway school. first drop all hooked up, as soon as confirmed mulloway came up skipper shut down the fishing as he didn't wanna release mulloway that wouldn't survive the barotruama being released. all explained to us punters. a respectable decision = good charter operator

it become a bit like paying to go to the brothel and having to loose out as the "root tally" has been reached before you get to the front of the line...., if I'm there just for the view, I'd buy a magazine or go to a peep-show and save me dollars.

ie, thats what AQWA is for....

I want to go out on a fishing charter to FISH for FISH, not feed bait to the bottom!

I expect to have a skipper and deckies that can put me on the spots and fish, AND not a deep sea taxin service! you paying a premium to be on that boat.

Two dermals is fine, as long as the skipper still hits other spots with the chances of Cat2 fish as well.  Nothing wrong with a few skippy and other fish to add to the weeks tea and fun to catch.