The short and tightly-controlled Western Australian abalone fishing season has started this week, with anglers given just one hour a week to bag the green-lipped delicacy.

Reports from the WA Department of Fisheries said the number of participants was lower at the start of this year’s season, with speculation that tough measures to improve stocks may be pushing some away from the sea-snail hunt.

After a marine heatwave decimated abalone numbers in 2011, a total closure of abalone activities was imposed throughout WA’s Northern Zone, and from Greenough River down to Moore River.

In the waters from Moore River to Busselton Jetty in the south west, fishers are only allowed one hour a day for the next four Sundays to catch a maximum 20 abalone each time.

The five-week season has already seen some trying to bend the rules, with 17 infringements issued by the Department of Fisheries for people who exceeded the bag limit, as well as three infringements for fishing outside of the one hour window.