Professional Fishing Associations, or PFAs, represent commercial fishers operating around the State and are loosely organised based around the location of fishing activity.

The members of any given PFA may not all necessarily operate in the same fishery. Individual fishers may carry out commercial activities in one or more different fisheries. But because the group collectively works in a given geographical area, it is convenient to organise and to address areas of common concern.

For example, the Esperance Professional Fishers’ Association has members that fish different fisheries around Esperance and the south coast of WA for rock lobster, deep sea crab, salmon and other finfish species such as pilchards. But they share common interests and find it convenient to present a unified stance issues affecting all their respective operations.

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There are about 20 different PFAs operating around Western Australia, from the Kimberley in the State’s far north to Esperance in the south.

Some of these PFAs include:

  • Dongara Professional Fishermen’s Association
  • Esperance Professional Abalone Divers Association
  • Esperance Professional Fishermen’s Association
  • Geraldton Professional Fishermen’s Association
  • Kalbarri Professional Fishermen’s Association
  • Kimberley Professional Fishermen’s Association
  • Leeman Professional Fishermen’s Association
  • Mandurah Licensed Fishermen’s Association