Kimberley marine park zones: what WA fishos can still do

Do not wing this one. If you’re towing a tinny into the Kimberley this dry season, the map needs a proper look before the boat hits the ramp. The new Kimberley marine park zones, in force from July 19, put some long-used fishing and camping spots inside sanctuary or cultural protection areas. Miss the boundary and the trip can come with a $400 to $5,000 fine.

Under WA’s zoning scheme for Bardi Jawi Gaarra Marine Park, the 204,000-hectare park is now split into 25 per cent sanctuary zone, 26 per cent cultural protection zone and 49 per cent general use, special purpose or recreation zones where recreational fishing remains open. That is the useful number for visiting fishos: just under half the park still works the familiar way, while the rest needs closer checking before anyone banks on an old mark.

Broome recreational fisher Sara Hennessey told ABC News the new lines cut across places families have used for years. Her worry is the bloke who has always pulled up at the same camp, or worked the same edge, and now finds the spot is off-limits.

“You’re used to going there … suddenly you’re not allowed to go fish and camp places you’ve been going for the past 40 years.”
— Sara Hennessey, ABC News

Where the tighter rules bite

The rules are not the same from one patch of water to the next. Sanctuary zones are the hard no: no fishing or collecting. Cultural protection zones sit in a different bucket, with fishing allowed only through a licensed tour operator rather than by private rec fishers heading out alone. That makes old GPS marks, a mate’s screenshot or a few notes from a pre-change trip risky unless they are checked against the current zoning. In that part of WA, guessing wrong can mean a long detour before it becomes a legal problem.

So no, the Kimberley is not shut. Nearly half the park remains open to recreational fishing. The nuisance is more practical: some old routes, fallback creeks and island edges may need a rethink. Anyone booking fuel, ice, bait and leave months ahead should build the run around the live zoning, not around whatever worked on the last trip.

DBCA is not treating the zones as friendly advice. Buccaneer Archipelago parks coordinator Kevin Bancroft told ABC the rules would be enforced like other fisheries breaches, which is worth knowing before a holiday roster is locked in.

“Fisheries regulations, it’s pretty well black and white, if you’re doing something illegal and unlawful you’ll be infringed.”
— Kevin Bancroft, ABC News

The department says the tighter zones are there to protect habitat and wildlife, not as a short seasonal tweak. In its zoning announcement, DBCA said sanctuary zones give the highest level of protection for marine habitats and wildlife across the park. Fishos can argue the merits at the pub later. On the water, the lines are now in and the fines are real.

Before any dry-season push into the Kimberley, check the current Bardi Jawi Gaarra zoning and make sure everyone in the boat knows the difference between sanctuary, cultural protection and open areas. Distances are big, fuel is dear, and a wrong turn that once meant “try the next creek” can now add an infringement notice to a busted fishing plan.