The starfish was introduced to Australian waters through ballast water from Japanese ships and has disrupted the local ecosystem, depriving local species of food.

Local fisherman Mark Johnston said he had noticed more starfish when he went fishing with his family.

“You can see them in the water quite clearly. Even down at the Warmies you can see them, the fisherman are always dragging them up.”

Local charter boat Wayne Soottit operator said he had noticed an increase Northern Pacific Seastar numbers over the last couple of years.

“I’ve got a camera on the boat that I put down along the reefs and you can see them all over the place.

“You see quite a few of them and you can even catch the on the hooks.”

Mr Soottit said the starfish were taking food away from native fish and that he had noticed a reduction in flathead numbers.

Don Hough, Director of Marine Ecosystems with the Department of Sustainability and Environment said starfish numbers would naturally vary over time.

“They will come and go at different locations at different times.

“When it first got into the bay, the population exploded and then it collapsed, so it’s not a surprise that locals would observe it coming and going in different areas.”

Mr Hough said local fishermen or boaties who pulled the starfish out of the water should ensure they were taking the five-armed pest starfish and not the eleven-armed native variety.

“If you pull them out, put them in the bin. The best way to deal with this is prevention – if you’re a boatie, keep your boat clean.”