Spotlight on the demersal fishing ban

Join us at ABC Perth studios as Nadia Mitsopoulos shines a light on the demersal fishing ban.

My next Mornings Spotlight Forum will look at the ban on demersal fishing.

The state government's tough new fishing bans blindsided both recreational and professional fishers.

Demersal fishing between Kalbarri and Augusta is banned until Spring 2027. After that, some restricted recreational fishing can resume, but it will remain a no-go zone for commercial fishers.

The government says the tough approach is the only way to allow dwindling stocks of fish like snapper and dhufish to recover, but critics don't trust the science.

This tough new ban is up for debate in our next Mornings Spotlight Forum on Wednesday February 18 at the ABC Studios in East Perth.

On our panel will include:

• Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis
• Melissa Haslam, CEO of WA Fishing Industry Council
• Andrew Rowland, CEO of Recfishwest
• Professor Jessica Meeuwig, UWA Marine Futures Lab

If you'd like to be part of our live audience, and put a question to the panel, you can join in the discussion on Wednesday 18 February from 10am to 11am.

*Please note: We welcome respectful questions and comments from the audience as part of our Spotlight forums and will endeavour to include as many as possible on the day; however, please note there is no guarantee we will be able to reach everyone in the time available.

Spotlight - A series of forums hosted by ABC Radio Perth Morning's presenter Nadia Mitsopoulos, shining a light on issues that affect the community and hearing directly from the people it impacts the most.