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Geographe Chapter

We bring people together to help protect and restore the places you love to fish.

OzFish is dedicated to helping local rec fishers across Australia take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries. They partner with members and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways.

What we do:

- Work with fishers to make local fishing grounds healthy, vibrant and more productive.
- Share ideas on how to improve, restore and protect fish habitat.
- Seek grants and support for hands-on habitat restoration.
- Provide events, resources, education and research that support fishing groups to achieve local outcomes.

How did the Chapter start?

The OzFish Geographe Chapter was started up when a group of recreational fisher in the area saw an opportunity to restore part of the Vasse River behind BCF. Members agreed that the Vasse catchment, in general, can do with some TLC. This region belongs to the Wardandi Noongar people, who are traditional owners of the land and sea.

A meeting was had and the Chapter was born.

Within that week, members had cut their teeth on a mussel relocation project and had plans to do more projects into the future.

There is a membership for everyone

ADULT MEMBERSHIP JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP FAMILY MEMBERSHIP

Receive an OzFish cap, sticker, facemasks and a $10 BCF Gift Card courtesy of our major partner.

Fishing in Geographe

The Busselton Jetty is one of the most recognised landmarks in Western Australia. The 1.841 kilometre wooden jetty is the longest in the Southern Hemisphere, which gives opportunisic anglers their chance to walk all the way out to sea, without the need for a boat. .Beginner fishers usually start off one the first platform on the right side of the jetty, not far past the jetty entrance. The jetty is a great place to snag pink snapper, herring, samson fish, squid, blue manner crab, tailor and mullaway. March through to May ,we also get good runs of Australian salmon.

Concerns

Due to the topography of the area, Busselton was built in a 1 in 100 flood zone, based on the engineering decisions made in the 1930s, water was drained and diverted and water quality was significantly altered. Busselton was known for having a beautiful waterway as the centrepiece of its city, which people loved to fish and to swim, today it’s green. Recreational fishers want it restored to its former glory.

Ongoing Projects

Carter Freshwater Mussels are important to our local ecosystem. Carter’s Freshwater Mussel is the only species of freshwater mussel found in South Western Australia. The species is now confined to non-salinised rivers and streams mostly in catchments along the west and south coasts. The species is classified as vulnerable under the Wildlife Conservation Act and the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

The volunteers worked tirelessly over three days assisting Water Corporation contractor Indo-Pacific Environmental to ensure the mussels made it safely to their new home in the Vasse further upstream. WA Program Manager for OzFish Andrew Matthews was amazed by the results of the community to roll up their sleeve for the future of fishing for the region.

Future Projects

The mussel relocation project was a success, but Geographe has a long to-do list they would like to get through and need help doing so:

Riparian Restoration

The Vasse runs behind the BCF Busselton store, where staff suggested it was a good place to start fixing the riparian area as there is good access and plenty to. Members volunteering their time will be cleaning up litter, weeding, and planting native trees along the river.

Reef restoration

Artificial reefs were once popular until some of the material used to make them was questioned and the idea was put on hold for some year. Some recreational fishers, like Howie, are so keen about restoration projects, he has been keeping concrete structures in his own backyard for an opportunity to install them for the fish once permission can be granted. In the past few years, reef restoration is back in practice now scientists have a better understanding of methods and material to use. So hopefully Howie’s structures can be installed to give the local fish a home.

LATEST NEWS

OzFish Gets Dirty For 35,000 Threatened Carter’s Freshwater Mussels

OzFish volunteers of the new Geographe Chapter in WA have assisted with the rescue and relocation of more than 35,000 protected Carter’s freshwater mussels as part of the Vasse Diversion Drain project in Busselton earlier this month. The volunteers worked tirelessly over three days assisting Water Corporation contractor Indo-Pacific Environmental to ensure the mussels made it safely to their new home in the Vasse further upstream. WA Program Manager for OzFish Andrew Matthews was amazed by the results of the community to roll up their sleeve for the future of fishing for the region.

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