WA anglers have been banned from a popular fishing ground without consultation.

King Sound near Derby, 2,300km north of Perth, is home to rich barramundi stocks and an ongoing tussle between professional and amateur fishers.

In October, West Australian Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly announced he would be “ordering a permanent commercial fishing closure” for King Sound South.

He said he had achieved a “mutual agreement” between the operator Big Blue Fishing Pty Ltd, the WA Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC), Recfishwest and locals.

The agreement included an undisclosed compensation payment to Big Blue Fishing.

But other operators say they were left out of the loop and only found out about the new arrangements when they turned up to boat ramps.

A WAFIC spokesperson said other licence holders were not consulted because the authorities were trying to resolve conflicts involving a single fisher.

Mr Kelly said his colleagues at the Department for Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) were in charge of the consultations.

“Following an agreement between WAFIC and Recfishwest, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development undertook formal consultations with all licence holders, affording them the opportunity to comment, prior to the closure,” he said.