Fish For All

Roger Cook had his chance to right one wrong today, however the “Captain” Jackie Jarvis MLC survived the cabinet changes. Bit happening behind the scenes though- it’s going to be interesting when parliament goes back, maybe nobody wanted the job?

Fish For All on the radio this morning

Fish for All on inquiry into management of fisheries in Western Australia - 6PR Weekends

Press Release from Fish For All

PRESS RELEASE 19th JUNE 2026

Fish For All publishes this press release in response to specific comments made by the Minister for Fisheries Hon. Jackie Jarvis MLC made during Parliamentary Debates on 17th June 2026.

The Minister made direct accusations against the commercial fishing community, including this advocacy regarding vandalism and other criminal acts, in particular the now infamous “shark head incident”. Fish For All representatives did meet with the Minister during the morning of 29th December 2025, the same morning that the incident occurred at the Minister’s office in Margaret River. The individuals involved, including the main perpetrator were not in any way associated with this organisation. They were not employed in the industry at the time and carried out the act completely independently- and indeed independently of the wider sector.

The Minister has consistently used this incident in subsequent meetings with Industry Representatives and individual stakeholders to divert discussions and avoid important points regarding decisions knowing full well attendees had nothing to do with any of it. Given the limited time allocated to these meetings, usually 30 minutes, this diversionary tactic has severely hampered the opportunity of attendees to raise important points, or to indeed achieve any meaningful discussion or acknowledgement.

Fish For All can also confirm that other “incidents” raised by the Minister on Wednesday have absolutely nothing to do with the organisation or wider industry- but will raise the point that the deckhand involved in one incident that was charged by police was not employed at the time, and also acted entirely independently.

The Minister also stated that “all the science was presented at the Fishing Futures Forum”, we categorically refute this statement. Critical items relating to “the science” were either intentionally kept confidential, not ready due to resourcing, or hastily prepared and released into the public domain well after any “consultation” in 2026 and likely due to industry and public pressure, and legal challenge.
These items include the following: Fisheries Occasional Publications No. 150 and 151 (which included the “Punt Reviews” in the appendices, FRR 346 Resource Synopsis Report, and a “fisheries research article” released in 2026- “Underwater cameras reveal the behaviours and interactions of marine wildlife around demersal shark fishing gear”.

All of these publications hold critical information that was never made available to stakeholders throughout “consultations”, discussions or at any meetings. The content of these documents, had they have been available prior to the Minister’s “Captains Call” on 3rd December 2025 would likely have triggered calls from all sectors for immediate independent third party review.

In relation to third party or “peer” reviews, the Minister referenced Hon Norman Moore’s order for review in 2009. Minister Jarvis has not, at any stage ordered an external review, as did Norman Moore. The only review the Minister cites in relation to the 2025 assessment is contract work carried out by the CSIRO’s Professor Andre Punt in 2024 and 2025. Prof Punt looked at aspects of DPIRD’s current “bespoke” modelling, and found numerous issues many of which have still not been rectified. However this was not a “peer review”- it was two workshops carried out, and the end result is DPIRD releasing Fisheries Occasional Publications No. 150 and 151- effectively documents reporting on issues with the modelling, and also workshopping alternative, newer, best practice Stock Synthesis modelling that is not currently used- these are DPIRD reports, not independent peer reviews. The industry has never made any derogatory comment regarding Professor Punt’s work- although his work has led to justifiable criticism of the Department’s work and the decisions made based on that work.

In relation to specific (and repeated) comments about the West Coast Demersal commercial fishery, the Minister stated that the commercial sector asked for “more fish”. It did not. It simply asked for the return of the 20 tonnes that previous Minister Punch “temporarily” reallocated in 2024. That 20 tonnes still remains attached to the commercial allocation as there has been no Statutory Consultation under the Act to formally reallocate it. Further comment was made regarding WAFIC- consistent with the Minister’s obvious personal dislike of the Peak Body over many months- including a comment that the commercial sector was “difficult to deal with”. We find this comment absurd given the circumstances.

The Minister refers to the “viability of the fishery”, and that some fishers only fish “a few days per month”. Fish For All advises that the fishery was very viable with the limited number of operators, and that “a few days per month” is generally more than enough activity to either fish full time or as a secondary business activity. In this sense the Minister totally contradicts herself further by stating “fishers have licences in other fisheries”- they may well do, but many fisheries are complimentary, such as West Coast demersal and Spanish Mackerel, and are carried out in the same trip- in this sense a lack of understanding can be directly attributed to a lack of meaningful consultation.

Regarding comments made about overfishing, Fish For All are pleased to advise that the Commercial West Coast Demersal Fishery received it’s catch update for season 2025 on 4th June 2026. The commercial sector retained 222 tonnes, for total removals of 228 tonnes. The Total Allowable Catch was set at 220 tonnes for 2025 following changes made in 2024. On Wednesday, the minister claimed the sector was overfishing at 280 tonnes- misleading the parliament and the people of WA. If there was overfishing in 2025 it was not from the commercial sector.

Hon Jarvis mentioned “document release” and transparency. We confirm that on 18th June 2026 DPIRD FOI have written to applicants requesting further extensions of time on already severely overdue applications, or denying applications altogether. We request that The Minister advises on why the requests are being denied or are so late, and if resourcing is the problem. We also note that letters sent to The Minister and Premier Roger Cook from Fish For All many weeks ago relating to serious deficiencies in the science have not been answered.

There are numerous other inaccuracies or obfuscations that we could address from the Minister’s statements on 17th June 2026 however many have been repeated over time- and are remembered by the wider community.

Fish For All finds the whole situation to be highly regrettable, and does not condone any of the acts mentioned or any other derogatory activities directed at any person past present or future relating to this matter- that has always been our position and was communicated to The Minister, in good faith on 29th December 2025.

However, as an organisation that represents stakeholders that enable fish supply to all Western Australians, we will not sit by and be accused of any occurrence that we have had absolutely nothing to do with. Furthermore, we will continue call out all untrue and inaccurate comments, statements or otherwise, that are used to justify decisions that have destroyed the lives and livelihoods of dozens of hard working families, and stripped away access to locally caught product from the public of Western Australia.

The Minister’s addresses to Parliament this week should be of concern to every Western Australian. Parliamentary Privilege is exactly as it says- a privilege, not a right to mislead and attack individuals and organisations that wear the brunt of “captain’s calls”.


The Board

Fish For All

Media: [email protected]

Jackie Jarvis MLCRoger CookStayN Afloat Ocean & FishingKirrilee Warr MLAFishing Around Western AustraliaSouthwestern Fresh FishBasil ZempilasWestern Australian Fishing Industry CouncilTerritory Seafood CrewShane Love MLASeafood Industry AustraliaHon. Rod Caddies

Great news this afternoon. What’s not so great is Jackie Jarvis MLC going on an unhinged rant in parliament. We get it Jackie- you didn’t want the inquiry but The Greens did- you were a bit stuffed there. So you threw all the toys out of the cot like a spoilt brat- including classic “victim blaming”. Bottom line is- if you had of consulted properly in the first place your position wouldn’t be untenable now, would it😬

Wondering why Jackie Jarvis MLC’s had picked MAC seems to be very quiet? And why there’s no commercial representation?

🚨 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 🚨

The recreational fishing sector has woken to discover it may have been totally played.

"𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛'𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑁𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦'𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟, 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑛-𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒. 𝐼 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟."

— Anonymous Recreational Fishing Representative, speaking through tears.

Sources close to the situation say the once-oddly close relationship between environmental NGOs, their well-funded campaign machine, and recreational fishing leaders has now broken down due to 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.

"𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑢𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠. 𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒'𝑟𝑒 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑠."

Having helped sell the world’s largest marine park network on the promise that recreational fishing would be protected, parts of the rec sector have now woken up inside the worst "𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨" story in decades.

They thought they had backed a plan that would lock out commercial fishers while leaving recreational access largely untouched.

Then came the front-page plot twist.
Their partners have moved on.

🎣 Recreational fishers are now discovering that the marine parks they supported may soon become the very places they are no longer allowed to fish.

With environmental NGO proposals pushing large parts of the marine park network toward full protection, many recreational fishers are getting front-row seats to the same show commercial fishers watched years ago.

😳 Rec Sector representatives who were assured this would never happen are reportedly "still processing events."

Some remain frozen in disbelief.
Others are very quiet for people who appear to have been stitched up in front of the entire country.

🤔 Meanwhile, enter the younger, sexier, non-extractive dive sector.

A new cast of characters has arrived to explain why fishing should be banned in places many of them will never dive.

Advertisements have been purchased.
Campaigns launched.
Press releases distributed.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡?
𝐆𝐞𝐞𝐳, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

🍿 Commercial fishers have declined to comment.

Mostly because:
𝐖𝐞. 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲. 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮. 𝐒𝐨.