News

With the start of the new licensing year on Sunday 1st November, fishers are reminded to renew their recreational fishing licences for abalone, rock lobster, scallops and netting. A new licence for using set lines has also been introduced following the scalefish review.

Licences can be renewed online at www.fishing.tas.gov.au/licence or are available from Service Tasmania shops. The 2009-10 Recreational Sea Fishing Guide and new fish measuring rulers can also be obtained from Service Tasmania and most bait and tackle shops. and Gauges for measuring abalone, rock lobster and scallops are also available from Service Tasmania. These products are funded from Fishwise - Our Recreational Sea fishing licence fees at work.

Outcomes of the Scalefish Review
Some new rules resulting from the Scalefish Review will come into effect from Sunday, 1st November.

Set Line licence:
A licence is now required to use any set line. A set line is either a dropline or a longline, with up to 30 hooks. A person may only use one set line at a time. In the future hook numbers for set lin will be reviewed.

Gillnets:
Gillnets may only be set for a maximum of 2 hours in Shark Refuge Areas and a maximum of 6 hours applies in other waters. Night netting in Macquarie Harbour is the only exception.

Striped trumpeter:
Minimum size 500 mm. Possession limit on water 4 per fisher. Total possession limit 8 per person. No Boat limit was introduced

Striped trumpeter must either be landed whole with head and tail attached or as two fillets with the frames (including head and tail).
A closed season from 1 September 2010 to 31 October 2010 will apply. The Department will continue to have discussions with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) for complimentary management arrangements for striped trumpeter, so that the same arrangements apply for Commonwealth commercial fishers.

Blue eye trevalla:
Possession limit on water 5 per fisher. Total possession limit 8 per person. No Boat limit was introduced.

Southern calamari:
Possession limit 15 except in south east waters where an on water possession limit of 10 per fisher applies . The dates for the squid and calamari closure in east coast waters from Lemon Rock to the northern end of Marion Bay Beach have changed. The closure applies for squid, including southern calamari from 15 October 2009 to 14 November 2009 inclusive. This is for a shorter period than previous closures. The same closure period will apply next year. Go to the: sea fishing website to see a map of the closed area.


Bastard trumpeter:
Minimum size 380mm. Possession limit 10 per fisher.

Snapper:
Minimum size 300mm. Possession limit 5.

Yellowtail kingfish:
Possession limit 5.

Elephantfish:
Possession limit 2. Elephantfish no longer included in the shark possession limit or boat limit.

Recreational Scalefishing Areas.
Ansons Bay will be closed to commercial scalefishing from 1 November 2009. Port Sorell will also be closed to commercial scalefishing with the exception that two commercial fishers, who hold an endorsement for the Port Sorell Shark Refuge Area may use their gillnet allocation for that area until they retire from the fishery. All other commercial scalefishing will be prohibited.

For more information about the outcomes of the scalefish review, including a report to the Minister that provides background of the Department's final recommendations go to: http://www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/SCAN-7H77J3?open.

Rock Lobster Season Opening
The recreational rock lobster season opens on the first Saturday in November as usual, the date this year being the 7th November. Fishers should note that the 2009 season opening does not coincide with the Northern Tasmania Recreation Day long weekend.

Review of the Rock Lobster Fishery
The Department has been receiving a large number of enquiries about the recreational rock lobster season this year and can confirm that there have been no changes to the fishing rules including size, bag or possession limits for this season. The Department has commenced a review of the rock lobster fishery and public consultation will take place during the 2009/10 fishing season. Changes to the management plan need to be in place by 1 March 2011.

During the review major issues for consideration will be identified. To date, these include:
The continuing trend of declining lobster stock levels since the post-quota fishery peak in 2005;
Inshore fishing effort on the south east and east coasts; and
The risk of long-spined sea urchin barrens spreading on the east coast.

There will be several opportunities for you to provide your views. Initially, a questionnaire will collate initial feedback on major issues affecting the fishery, and then this information will be used to develop a new management plan. In mid to late 2010, the draft plan will be publicly released for further comment.

The questionnaire is available online, please visit: www.fishing.tas.gov.au.
to complete the questionnaire. Encourage others to complete it on line !

The review will help guide the management of the fishery for the next five years so please provide your feedback before 18 December 2009.

Elephant Rock Research Area Boundary Extension
The northern boundary of the Elephant Rock Research Area off St Helens will be extended by 230m from November 1st. The purpose of the extension is to protect large lobsters in the research area where Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute scientists are investigating possible controls of long spined sea urchins. There is no fishing by diving or use of rock lobster pots or rings in this area.
See the 2009-2010 Recreational Sea Fishing Guide for details of the boundary extension

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