Department of Fisheries principal management officer Nathan Harrison said thousands of people were expected to fish for the freshwater crayfish at various water bodies in the South West.

“Marron are only found in this State and, as such, the experience of wild stock marron fishing is unique to WA,” Mr Harrison said.

“From this year, the season will regularly kick off on 8 January, which will simplify arrangements for recreational fishers planning holiday breaks and ensure they get at least one dark phase of the moon during the season.

“Minor rule changes apply this year, to help the fishery remain sustainable and to continue to offer a quality recreational experience.

“We also need marron fishers to be mindful of the potential for bushfires and to pay special attention to fire ban rules that apply.”

He said research monitoring had indicated marron stocks were in a stable phase and would have benefitted from the good winter rains of 2009.

“All recreational fishers should understand that they play a key role in the sustainability of the fishery by not taking undersize marron or more than the limits allow for,” he said.

“Bag and size limits remain unchanged this year (bag limit 10, minimum carapace size limit 80mm, however, special rules apply in ‘trophy waters’, where a legal minimum carapace size of 90mm and bag/possession limit of five applies).

“Major public dams are ‘snare only’ fishing areas and the use of drop and scoop nets is not permitted in those locations.

“Water supply dams are generally closed to fishing.”

The Recreational Fishing Guide Marron 2010 is available online at www.fish.wa.gov.au, or from Department of Fisheries’ offices.

The brochure outlines the rules that apply and fishing gear to use and provides details on where you can and cannot fish for marron and advice on catch care.

Fishers must have an up-to-date marron licence and these can be purchased online from the Department of Fisheries’ website.

Rotary Park is closed to marroning up to 300m upstream.