Damien Bell

For the past 13 years Damien has been a commercial fisherman in the Peel Harvey estuary harvesting “fresh, local and sustainable” fin fish and blue swimmer crabs.

Damien holds degrees from JCU (Hons.) and Curtin University (BSc.) and has work experience in:

• the WA Rock Lobster fishing industry
• fish processing and live transport
• pearling in WA, Myanmar and Indonesia

He has aided in guiding a more co-management approach when dealing with Fisheries Managers, research staff, government advisers, WAFIC and fellow fishers.

During his ten year tenure as President of the Mandurah Licensed Fisherman’s Association (MLFA), the group that has developed an Environmental Management System, a Resource Sharing Program as well as a world-first in MSC certification, all in the aim of increasing social licence to operate, increasing the marketability and the profile of our product in a sustainability driven environmental culture, whilst also maintaining resource access.