A primary responsibility of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is to conserve, sustainably develop and share the use of Western Australia’s aquatic resources and their ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations.
We do this through managing fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, assessment and monitoring of fish stocks, enforcement and education, biosecurity management and licensing commercial and recreational fishing activity, including commercial aquaculture.
A variety of complex issues impact on the sustainable management of the State’s fish and aquatic resources. To meet these challenges we employ an integrated approach to the planning, priority setting and project management.
The Minister responsible for Fisheries is the Hon. Donald (Don) Punch MLA. You can find details of the corporative executive of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development here.
Reporting on our services
Our initiatives and achievements are reported in the Annual Report to the Parliament of WA. The report also provides an overview of the Fisheries Division, its operational structure, performance management framework, outcomes in relation to key performance indicators and details of the executive team.
A second and equally important annual report is prepared on the stock status and catch ranges for Western Australia’s major commercial fisheries.
The annual Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (formerly known as the State of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Report and State of the Fisheries Report) provides information on the State’s current management status and future directions of commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries and aquaculture industries.
Our plans and operations are also governed by our 
Disability Access and Inclusion Plan.