'BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES': Locals say Mandurah's illegal crabbing problem runs far deeper, as Fisheries data backs them up
The $8000 fine handed to a Chinese couple caught with 62 undersized blue swimmer crabs was meant to be a sobering deterrent, but for many locals, the practice is rampant, and far from confined to one rogue case.
Within hours of WTV Now's report on Mingfu and Lili Xue's prosecution, our comments section lit up with hundreds of locals sharing strikingly similar firsthand accounts.
The picture they painted was one of a problem that has been hiding in plain sight for decades.
"In Mandurah, [it has] been happening for years, first memory back from in the 80s," wrote Lemar Hewitt.
Caroline Mullin, who said she crabbed regularly, summed up the frustration of many: "We used to advise people that their crabs were undersized but they used to just shake their hands at us and say it was ok, they would not be told."
Mandy Jones described her own recent experience as a stark contrast.
"We caught at least 90 last time, only two keepers and we threw them all back. Think of others."
Hideaway Caravan Park, Freshwater Bay, Australind, Augusta — readers point fingers at hotspots
Several commenters pointed to specific locations they say have become well-known hotspots for the practice.
One reader, Kyle Woozy, described nightly feasting on undersized crabs at Hideaway Caravan Park around Christmas — a tip that prompted WTV Now to commit publicly to investigating.
Others claimed similar patterns at Freshwater Bay yacht club, the Busselton jetty, and even further afield in Augusta, where one commenter alleged a person was repeatedly seen taking undersized fish.
Pedro El Campeon offered a particularly detailed account: "Stake out the jetty at Freshwater Bay yacht club, an Asian family take up the whole jetty and once they have X amount they get taken to a waiting car, that car drives off and returns within 30 minutes — sometimes a different car but waiting in same spot."
"This goes on all night all week."
While such accounts are unverified anecdotes, the broader pattern of repeated offending across the Peel-Harvey region is well-documented — and supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's own enforcement data.
The Fisheries data tells the real story
Operation Lightwald — DPIRD's flagship summer enforcement campaign across the Peel-Harvey and Swan-Canning regions — has consistently turned up alarming numbers.
In the 2023/24 compliance season alone, officers inspected more than 3600 fishers and 370 crabbing-connected boats, issuing 103 infringement fines and 124 warning notices in the Peel Harvey region alone.
Further 18 fines and 20 formal warnings were issued on the Swan and Canning Rivers, where two fishers faced full prosecution.
In November 2025, a 28-year-old Byford man was fined $2844 after being found with 23 undersize crabs taken from the same Coodanup Foreshore where the Xue couple were intercepted.
A 42-year-old Northbridge man was fined $2244 the same week after attempting to dispose of two undersize crabs at the Rivergums Boat Ramp in South Yunderup to avoid being measured.
In March 2026, a 78-year-old Forrestdale man was fined $1974 in Mandurah Court after Fisheries officers found 36 blue swimmer crabs in his vehicle at the Coodanup Foreshore — 28 of them undersized.
DPIRD Senior Fisheries and Marine Officer Darren Harbord said the daily bag limit was strictly enforced to protect breeding stocks.
"Fishers should always measure their crabs carefully from the tips of the spikes across the widest part of the shell before taking them ashore," he said.
The 'soft shell crab' confusion
A flurry of reader comments alleged restaurants in Perth and the Mandurah region might be sourcing their menus from illegal catch — with sarcastic references to "crab and sweet corn soup" and "minced crab" recipes that some claimed used undersized juveniles.
"Soft shell crab," is a popular dish on dozens of Perth restaurant menus in Western Australia.
The dish refers to crabs that have been commercially harvested during their post-moulting phase — when the new shell has not yet hardened.
These crabs are typically farm-raised or sustainably wild-caught from regulated commercial fisheries, often imported from South-East Asia, and are full-sized adult crabs sold legally through wholesale supply chains.
They are not the same as the undersized juvenile blue swimmer crabs being illegally taken from the Peel Inlet.
There is no public evidence that Perth or Mandurah restaurants are knowingly sourcing illegally-caught undersized crabs, and any such claims would require formal investigation by DPIRD or Consumer Protection authorities to substantiate.
Cultural divide or just plain ignorance?
Many readers expressed frustration that "ignorance" was repeatedly being raised as a defence, with multiple commenters pointing out that DPIRD has, since 2024, made its crabbing guide for blue swimmer crabs available in both Vietnamese and Chinese.
Princess Harrelle put it simply:
"Ignorance of the law is not a valid defence in this instance."
Filipino-born commenter Peo Paul agreed. "Ignorance of the law excuses no one. We must respect the law, custom and traditions here in this beautiful country."
DPIRD continues to encourage members of the public to report suspected illegal fishing activity to the FishWatch hotline on 1800 815 507 or via the Crime Stoppers WA website.
The minimum legal size for blue swimmer crabs remains 127mm across the carapace, with a daily bag limit of 10 per fisher.
