Crabbing Cockburn Sound- 2016/17 Season: Not looking good!
Submitted by Moking on Mon, 2016-09-19 11:53
Have been making enquires with Fisheries,to see if I can enjoy a Crabbing Season this year in Mangles Bay(Cockburn Sound)
Not looking good. There response this morning:
Hi Allan,
Thank you for your enquiry.
Monitoring of the Cockburn Sound blue swimmer crab stock during 2014/15 showed the stock remained at very low levels. It is likely the Fishery will remain closed for the 2016/17.
The Department of Fisheries is currently finalising the 2016 assessment of the Cockburn Sound Crab Fishery. I will email you to advise when the assessment is finalised and a decision has been made with respect to the upcoming season.
____________________________________________________________________________
My Dad taught me how to Fish-Thanks Dad.(RIP)
rigpig
Posts: 507
Date Joined: 21/11/12
sucks.
I wonder what is impacting the stock so much? Is it the salmon season, snapper season or something else? Everything else in Cockburn seems to be doing well including the squid?
There is a professional crabber operating in Warnbro Sound but surely his activities wouldn't be effecting Cockburn Sound???
Moking
Posts: 1252
Date Joined: 30/05/12
Yep - I've been thinking the
Yep - I've been thinking the same. The crabs were swimming on the surface this summer off Palm Beach jetty,especially at night.
You could of scooped them, (but closed season) they were everywhere. So I thought maybe Fisheries would open the season this year, but doesn't look like it.
My Dad taught me how to Fish-Thanks Dad.(RIP)
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Reason for closure...
...I know at one stage they were concerned about dwindling seagrass levels in the sound...apparently essential habitat for the crabs there. Not enough habitat=not enough crabs to handle additional fishing pressure.
Come to Mandurah and flog the holy hell out of them, just like everybody else! Fisheries will never shut THAT down...would turn the Peel Region into an economic ghost town...
sunshine
Posts: 2612
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Increased gummy shark numbers impacts the crabs
As it is one of their primary food stuffs, there are however some good crabs around as I dropped an absolute beauty that took a liking to a mulie when snapper fishing last week .....
rigpig
Posts: 507
Date Joined: 21/11/12
is there increased gummies?
I haven't heard that before.. I wouldn't mind picking up a couple of gummy sharks..
sunshine
Posts: 2612
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Certainly has been
Plenty around !
rigpig
Posts: 507
Date Joined: 21/11/12
nice one
next snapper bash I'm putting some bottom rigs down..
grantarctic1
Posts: 2546
Date Joined: 03/03/11
Yep
Yep, gummies love crabs.
But I would have thought the recent fish kill had more to do with the lack of numbers than a few extra gummies.
They have no idea of how many juvenile and adult crabs were killed by the so called natural disaster .
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Plenty of crabs in Warnbro
Plenty of crabs in Warnbro sound last night
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf