Image via Department of Primary Industries and Regions
Goolwa Beach is reopening to recreational fishers as another exciting Pipi season begins.
From June 1st to October 31st, the annual closure for Pipi Cockles in South Australian waters was in effect, during which it was illegal to take Pipi from SA waters. As of Friday, November 1st, recreational fishers are welcome to collect Goolwa Cockles, with sustainable practices and fishing limits in mind.
This year, the bag limit for pipis taken east of 136 degrees (including Goolwa Beach) has increased from 300 to 330, with a vehicle limit of 990 for groups of three or more. These daily bag limits have been enforced to ensure that fishing resources are sustainable and shared. Once a person has reached the set bag limit for a species for that day, they are not permitted to catch any more of that species until the following day.
Similarly, the annual closure from April to November protects the species during their spawning season, helping to ensure strong catches for the next season.
This season, the possession limit has been raised to 1,320, but the size limit remains at 3.5cm, measured across the shell’s widest part.
Recreational fishing for Pipi Cockles remains prohibited on the Younghusband Peninsula (Coorong Beach) between the Murray Mouth and 28 Mile Crossing, meaning you must not take the cockles from this area.
Pipis, known as Kuti in the local Ngarrindjeri language, have been harvested from the Coorong as a traditional food source by South Australia’s First Nations people for thousands of years.
Despite the season reopening for Pipi Cockles, it comes as South Australians have been warned to adhere strictly to the fishing limits, with recreational crab fishers violating fishing regulations with more than $25,000 in fines issued in the past month.
If members of the public suspect someone is violating fishing regulations, they are encouraged to report it through the 24-hour FISHWATCH hotline at 1800 065 522 or via the SA Recreational Fishing App. Reports can be made anonymously and are crucial to preserving marine and freshwater species in South Australian waters.
For more information about Pipi season, click here.
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