DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES ANNUAL REPORT TO THE ...

DISCLOSURES AND LEgAL COMPLIANCE � DETAILED kEy PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Objective 3 – Maximise the Social Benefit to
the State
The Department seeks to manage the State’s
fisheries in an economically, social and
environmentally sustainable manner. This
performance indicator deals with the social
component of the ‘triple bottom line’ approach.
Sustainably managed fisheries and aquatic
environments provide benefits to the State by
providing a range of recreational opportunities and
experiences to the community from snorkelling and
just looking at fish in their natural environment to
‘catching a feed’ for the family.
Information for performance indicators 3.1 to
3.3 was derived from a survey to assess the level of
success of the Department of Fisheries’ activities and
functions within the Western Australian community.
The objectives of the survey were to:
• Assess the level of recall and awareness of
the Department of Fisheries’ information and
promotional activities.
• Assess the understanding and support of the
community for the Department of Fisheries’
management strategies across all four
programs (Commercial Fisheries, Recreational
Fisheries, Pearling and Aquaculture, and Fish
and Fish Habitat Protection).
• Examine key aspects of community fishing and
marine habitat appreciation.
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The survey was conducted by telephone during
June 2011. The telephone numbers were randomly
selected from the white pages. Respondents were
males and females older than 17 years residing
in Western Australia. The total sample of 702
interviews comprised:
• 509 from Major Cities.
• 84 from Inner Regional.
• 109 from Outer Regional/Remote/Very
Remote/Migratory.
Roy Morgan Research conducted the fieldwork
to collect data from the community. The
Stock Assessment and Data Analysis Branch
of the Western Australian Fisheries and Marine
Research Laboratories performed the analyses of
the survey data.
3.1 the participation rate in recreational fisheries
The Department’s 2010/11 Budget Papers
provide for a participation rate in recreational
fisheries of 33 per cent.
The number of people in Western Australia
who went recreational fishing at least once in the
previous 12-month period was 594,000. This was
estimated as 32 per cent of the State’s population
older than four years of age (using Australian
Bureau of Statistics population estimates from
the 2006 census). This compares with an actual
participation rate of 32 per cent in 2009/10 and 33
per cent in 2008/09 (Figure 4).