WA's new fishing rules come into effect this week. 

Recreational fishers must now adhere to new restrictions along Western Australia's coast designed to boost the recovery of species such as snapper and dhufish.

Among the measures, a total ban on the recreational fishing of demersal scalefish has been extended to a total of six months a year.

Catching demersal scalefish from a boat is now prohibited from February 1 to March 31, from August 1 to the beginning of the September/October school holidays, and from the end of those holidays until December 15.

Limits of four demersal fish per vessel are in place outside of those dates. 

Boat limits for dhufish have been scrapped, leaving fishers allowed to catch only two per person, while size limits for dhufish, baldchin groper and breaksea cod have also been removed. 

Recreational fishers caught with demersal fish during the off-season could be fined up to $5,000. 

The restrictions apply to anyone fishing off a boat on the coast from Kalbarri to Augusta - a length of about 900km. 

People fishing off land are exempt from the seasonal closures, as they do not catch a significant number of demersal scalefish. 

Charter boats and commercial fishers are exempt from the new restrictions too.

Bans and limits were first introduced in 2010 as part of a 20-year plan to address overfishing, but extended when populations were found not to be recovering in line with the 2030 targets in 2021.