Southwest Blue Swimmer Crabbing Season Is Open For Business!

Summer is finally here, which means as of Sunday, December 1st crabbing season is back! 

Crabbing enthusiasts have officially been given the OK to hunt for the popular blue swimmer crabs in the Swan & Canning Rivers, the Peel-Harvey Estuary and coastal waters from Perth to Minus Beach. 

This comes after the crabbing closure period was introduced to protect the crabs during Spring when they are most vulnerable to being caught. The closure period was actioned in agreement with the Recfishwest, Western Australian Fishing Industry Council and the Southern Seafood Producers WA Association. 

Along with the return of crabbing season, there's still a daily bag limit to ensure the crabs aren't being overfished. The Swan and Canning rivers have a daily limit of FIVE blue swimmer crabs, while Geographe Bay has a limit of 10 crabs per-day with the exception of female crabs, of which fisherman can take only five per-day. 

Limits for the West Coast Bioregion (including Peel-Harvey Estuary) remains unchanged, allowing a haul of up to 10 blue swimmer crabs and a boat limit of 20 per-day. 

Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly says the protections were applied to recreational crabbing for future generations. 

"Crab is king for Western Australian recreational fishers and fishing for them is part of WA's highly valued summer lifestyle. That's why we implemented protections earlier this year to ensure generations to come can share this experience."

- Minister Dave Kelly

Minister Kelly says crabbing season is expected to be better than ever, with the warm weather inviting greater opportunity for a successful haul. 

In good news for crab fishers, the department's researchers advise me that the warm November weather should bring a good start to the new crabbing season."

- Minister Dave Kelly

The wait is finally over! Head on down and nab yourself some crabs this Summer! For more info, follow the link to the website. 

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