Minimum Size Limits and Catch Limits
Minimum Size Limits and
Catch Limits apply to commercial Periwinkles and Shortspined Sea Urchin. When the catch limit for a species and fishery part is reached it is seasonally closed for the remainder of the licensing year (1 Sep to 31 Aug).
- Catch limits and caught closures are displayed in the tables. Within-season catch data is not disclosed (ND) unless fished by five or more divers.
- Other closures, including for biotoxins, and testing requirements are displayed at bottom of page.
Last update: 9 December 2025
Periwinkles (Lunella undulata)
Find out more at Fishing Tas: Periwinkles
Notice setting legal size limit: 45mm minimum size limit (PDF)
Total Catch Limit for 2025-26 season is 27 tonnes
| Fishery Part | Catch Limit (t)
| Total Caught (t) | Total Left (t)
| Status |
| Northern | 8.1
| 0
| 8.1
| Open |
| North-Eastern | 5.5
| 0
| 5.5
| Open |
| Central-Eastern | 3.6
| ND
| <3.6
| Open
|
| South-Eastern | 3
| 1
| 2
| Open
|
| Western | 6.8
| 0
| 6.8
| Open |
Catch Cap Areas
Fishery Part
|
Sub-blocks |
Area Name |
Cap (t) |
Caught (t) |
Status |
NE
| 31A
| Eddystone
| 2.5
| 0
| Open
|
W
|
12C, 12D, 13A & 13B
|
Southwest
|
2.5
| 0
|
Open
|
Shortspined Sea Urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma)
Find out more at Fishing Tas: Shortspined Sea Urchin
Notice setting legal size limit: 80mm minimum size limit (PDF)
Total Catch Limit for 2025-26 season is 87.5 tonnes
Fishery Part
|
Catch Limit (t)
|
Total Caught (t)
|
Total Left (t)
| Status |
| Northern | 19.5
| 0
| 19.5
| Open |
| North-Eastern | 18.5
| 13.8
| 4.7
| Open |
| Central-Eastern | 22.5
| 9.9
| 12.6
| Open
|
| South-Eastern | 22
| 23.8
| 0
| CLOSED from 12:01am 10.12.25 to 11:59pm 31.08.26
|
| Western | 5
| 0
| 5
| Open
|
Catch Cap Areas
|
Fishery Part |
Sub-blocks |
Area Name |
Cap (t) |
Caught (t) |
Status |
NE
| 30D | Georges Bay
| 3.5
| 2.7
| CLOSED from 12:01am 08.10.25 to 11:59pm 31.08.26
|
| NE | 29D, 30A & 30B | St Helens | 6.5
| 8
| CLOSED from 12:01am 25.09.25 to 11:59pm 31.08.26
|
| CE | 24A, 24B & 24C | Mercury Passage | 7.5
| ND
| Open
|
| CE | 26B, 26C & 26D | Coles Bay | 6.8
| 4.9
| Open
|
| SE | 23B | Dunalley | 5
| 5.1
|
CLOSED from 12:01am 15.11.25 to 11:59pm 31.08.26
|
SE
| 18 | Derwent River | 3
| 4.1
| CLOSED from 12:01am 5.11.25 to 11:59pm 31.08.26
|
| SE | 19B | Dodges, Sloping Island | 7.5
| ND
|
CLOSED from 12:01am 15.11.25 to 11:59pm 31.08.26
|
Longspined Sea Urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii)
Find out more at Fishing Tas: Longspined Sea Urchin
No size limit
Annual Catch (tonnes)
|
2025/26 | 24/25 | 23/24 | 22/23 | 21/22 | 20/21 | 19/20 | 18/19 | 17/18
|
13
| 300
| 385
| 544
| 494
| 497
| 360.5
| 559.7
| 188.5
|
Other Closures
You must not take fish from any subblock that is formally closed to commercial dive fishing because of elevated biotoxins or other matters.
CLOSED: D’Entrecasteaux Channel 15, Port Esperance 14B & 14C.
You must batch-test monthly for Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PSTs) if fishing from subblocks that are closed to commercial abalone fishing due to elevated PSTs / biotoxin activity. This is mandatory for exports, and strongly recommended for domestic sales.
CLOSED: Bruny Island 16A, 16B, & 16C; Mercury Passage 24A, 24B, 24C; Other Areas 25, 26A, 26B, 26C, & 30A.
Biotoxin Management Framework
The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), and Natural Resources Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) through Biosecurity Tasmania (BT), the ShellMAP program, and Wild Fisheries Management Branch have the authority to close fishing areas in accordance with elevated biotoxin levels and disease outbreaks.
An independant PST risk profile for Tasmanian urchins and periwinkles is still under research and development (as at 2025). In the interim, a precautionary approach linked to abalone PST closures and general sampling must be taken to meet DAFF export requirements and protect consumers.
To maintain access to export markets, DAFF applies the Tasmanian Abalone Fishery Biotoxin Management Plan to urchins and periwinkles. This means that any sub-block closed to commercial abalone fishing due to elevated PST levels requires urchins and periwinkles taken from those areas to be batch-tested for PSTs prior to export.
When a monitoring program detects elevated PSTs in commercial abalone fishing areas, abalone sampling is triggered, followed by closures if the PST thresholds are reached (see flow diagram).
To protect consumers in the domestic market, batch-testing is recommended for urchins and periwinkles taken in areas closed to commercial abalone fishing due to PSTs, and in other areas where monitoring programs indicate that PST risk is significantly elevated.
ShellMAP publish current closures for shellfish
harvest areas, and the latest results for all monitoring programs are available in the
Biotoxin News. Fishing Tasmania also publish biotoxin
events and
alerts affecting fishers.
Biotoxin Threshold Flowchart
Click on the image to view in high resolution