• Inaugural Seafood Saturday attracted thousands of visitors to Rottnest
• Festival celebrates Western Australia's high-quality seafood
• WA is the only State in the world to have eight fisheries independently certified as sustainable 

Thousands of Western Australians descended on Rottnest Island today to celebrate our delicious local seafood and the island's newest summer event - Seafood Saturday.

Opened today by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia and Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly, Seafood Saturday included a mix of ticketed events and free activities, with 95 per cent of all the seafood served up caught off the WA coast.

The event included catch and cook crayfish boat tours, fishing clinics with Mark LeCras, a seafood degustation dinner, a seafood beach barbecue, unique sunset tours, long table dinners, a beach bonfire and a live cooking station.

Western Australia is the envy of the world with our pristine coastline harvesting sustainable seafood of the highest quality. WA was the first place in the world to receive an independent sustainability certification for our WA rock lobster.

Since then, the State has gone on to have eight fisheries independently certified as sustainable - the only State in the world to do so. This includes WA rock lobster, Exmouth Gulf and Shark Bay prawns, Peel Harvey Estuary blue swimmer crab and sea mullet, Australian west coast deep sea crab, the West Coast silver lipped pearl fishery and wild-caught abalone.

Rottnest Island is also one of Western Australia's top recfishing locations - with unique fishing spots on offer for all skill levels. About 620,000 people in WA wet a line each year, making recreational fishing one of our most popular pastimes.

For more information, visit http://www.rottnestisland.com

Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Paul Papalia:

"Rottnest Island, with its abundance of marine wildlife and natural wonders, is the perfect location to stage a seafood event.

"Following the success of last season's new and varied offerings, Seafood Saturday created an opportunity for visitors to experience the island like never before.

"With both ticketed and free events as well as discounted ferry tickets, it was a fantastic celebration to officially launch the summer season on the island.

"If you haven't been to Rottnest Island, or haven't been in a while, I would encourage you to visit."

Comments attributed to Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly:

"WA boasts some of the world's best sustainably caught seafood - and that is what is on showcase here today.

"Rottnest is not just a great place to eat seafood, it also boasts some of the best recfishing experiences in WA.

"There is nothing more quintessentially Western Australian than casting a line during the summer holidays and tucking into a seafood feast with your family.

"There are numerous rock platforms, headlands and beautiful beaches on Rottnest Island which offer excellent year-round fishing opportunities for every angler - from the novice to the experienced."

Tourism Minister's office - 6552 5600

Fisheries Minister's office - 6552 6100