The exploration of changes in recreational fishing participation and catch due to COVID-19 in this project offers several important benefits for the management and sustainability of recreational fisheries in Western Australia. Traditional data collection methods for recreational fishing can be costly and challenging, especially when operating at large scales or requiring real-time information. This project aims to address these challenges by investigating the use of community indicators, such as social and economic data, to rapidly assess changes in fisher demographics, participation, and catches. By leveraging administrative data and sales records, this approach can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of recreational fishing and inform ongoing assessments of sustainability and policy objectives. The project also involves assessing stakeholder attitudes towards these indicators and evaluating the impacts of COVID-19 on recreational fishing. The findings will contribute to the development of a performance assessment framework and recommendations for future data collection, ensuring that robust information is available to support evidence-based decision-making and the long-term sustainability of recreational fisheries in Western Australia under the Aquatic Resources Management Act (ARMA).