Marron season off with a bang

The marron season has begun with a great start, with more than 10,600 recreational marron fishing licences already issued for this year’s season.

The season started at 12pm on January 8 and will finish at 12pm on Monday, February 5.

Keen Harvey marron fisherman Mark Harrison said he was looking forward to getting out on the water this season.

“I love going out marron fishing with friends and family and this year’s really going to be special,” he said.

Mr Harrison was introduced to marroning when he first moved to Harvey 10 years ago.

After being away from Harvey for 12 months, Mr Harrison is looking forward to getting back home with his family to take part in the season.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Harvey and taking the kids out there for their first time in Harvey Trophy Waters,” he said.

This year he said hoped to teach his four-year-old to use a snare line, and to teach his two-year-old to help by holding the torch.

“The best part for them will just be having a look at the marron and having a go with the snare,” he said.

Harvey Dam is one of the most popular marron fishing spots in the State and could become the site for a Commonwealth-funded program aimed at boosting the marron population in the dam

Mr Harrison said people needed to be aware of the rules put in place to protect the species.

“People need to turn up with a licence, know their bag limit for the day and know that Harvey Dam is snare-only fishing,” he said.

People can purchase their marron fishing licence online at www.fish.wa.gov.au where they can also access the full guide to recreational marron fishing, including size and bag limits.

Any suspicious or illegal fishing activity should be reported to FishWatch on 1800 815 507.