With the west coast demersal fishery still off-limits, Western Australia's government has put a small sweetener in front of frustrated anglers: a rebate of up to $50 on fishing gear bought from local tackle stores.
Claims opened on Monday 18 May 2026 and run until 17 November. Every current boat fishing licence holder in the state is eligible, and can recover up to $50 spent at more than 40 participating independent tackle shops. Anglers simply keep their receipts and submit through the ServiceWA app or an online form.
The offer is aimed squarely at fishers caught by the restrictions on demersal species — the bottom-dwelling reef fish, including dhufish and snapper, that have been heavily managed in a bid to rebuild depleted stocks. Many licence holders have effectively paid for access to a fishery they cannot use, and the rebate is pitched as partial recognition of that.
Recreational fishing body Recfishwest gave the move a cautious tick. It called the rebate "a fair and practical step from the Government in recognising that many boat fishing licence holders have paid for access to a demersal fishery they can't currently use."
Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis has framed the program as a twin benefit — returning a little money to anglers while supporting the small tackle businesses that depend on them. By limiting the rebate to independent retailers, the scheme funnels spending toward local operators rather than big chains, many of which have struggled as the demersal closures bite.
The reaction from anglers, however, has been mixed. Some have pushed back, arguing that $50 is a token amount set against the price of a licence and the months of fishing they have forgone, with critics warning the rebate simply "won't go far" for those shut out of an entire fishery.
For tackle shops, the gesture is more welcome. Anything that nudges anglers back through the door during a quiet period helps, whether they are buying gear for the inshore and pelagic species still on offer or stocking up ahead of an eventual reopening.
The demersal saga remains one of the thorniest issues in WA fishing, balancing the recovery of slow-growing reef fish against a vocal and passionate recreational community. A $50 rebate was never going to settle that argument. But it is a signal that the cost being shouldered by licence holders has at least been noticed — and anglers have until November to decide whether to take the government up on it.
