After more than 55 years in the industry, Bunbury fisherman Nicholas Soulos's boat will not be heading out today.

A permanent ban on commercial demersal fishing has come into effect along a large stretch of the Western Australian coastline, and it is having an immediate impact.

"I asked for some emergency funding for the skipper and crew of the boat so they can enjoy Christmas and be able to pay their mortgages come the middle of January and pay their rent come the first week in January," he said.

Nicholas Soulos spent in excess of $150,000 on refits for his boat in November before the ban was announced. (ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch)

"The government's not coming to the party with any of that; their answer to that was 'well, that's up to the bosses', but what they forget is we've got no cash flow."

Better consultation needed

The closure spans the West Coast bioregion from Kalbarri to Augusta, including Perth, and focuses on species such as dhufish and pink snapper, which the state government says remain under serious pressure despite years of restrictions.

In the Kimberley, Pilbara and South Coast bioregions, the commercial catch limit for demersal fish has been halved from today.

Three men were charged after shark heads and fish remains were dumped outside WA Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis's office in Margaret River on Monday in protest of the approaching ban.

Pink snapper is among the species the ban is trying to protect. (ABC News: Lauren Smith)

Mr Soulos, who is a third-generation fisherman, said a similar ban imposed in Queensland was an example of how things could have been better handled.

"In their management plan, they had a lot of respect for the fishermen," he said.

"The fishermen who were able to exit the fishing industry with dignity, we don't get any of that.

"They had a decent, fair compensation package, which the one that the [WA] government's suggesting doesn't come anywhere near being appropriate for what they're trying to do."