East Coast Catch Cap

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Stat​us: CLOSED

The East Coast catch cap area (from Eddystone Point to Coal Point) is closed to commercial fishing from 00:01am on Monday 4 May 2026.

The East Coast Catch Cap was set at 94 tonnes for the 2026/27 season commenci​ng 1 March 2026.  

​The East Coast Catch Cap area extends from the line of latitude 41° 16' 30" south off St Helens Point south to  the line of latitude ​43° 20' south off Coal Point (see map at bottom of this page).  

The area near Red Rocks, ​lin​e of latitude 41°00’15’’​ south to Tasman Head, line of latitude 43° 30’ 58" south, the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Area​, including the East Coast Catch Cap area, has closed now that the catch cap has been reached. 

Commercial Rock Lobster Open Areas

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Important: In the public notices and map below, GPS coordinates are provided in degrees, minutes, and seconds (e.g. 40°59'35"S). If you use GPS in degrees and decimal minutes (e.g. 40°59.583'S) or in decimal degrees (e.g. 40.9931°S), you must accurately convert the coordinates to the correct format.

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For more details on current closures, see the published notices​:​

 Public Notice Closing East Coast stock rebuilding zone to commercial rock lobster fishing 04 May 2026 

Below is a table of cumulative catches and number of vessels from the East Coast Catch Cap Area for the 2026/27 season.

Cumulative Catch from East Coast Catch Cap Area​ 2026/27 season.

Catch update as of 1 July ​2026 - Catch from entered quota dockets.​

Cumulative Catch from East Coast Catch Cap Area​ 2025/26 season.

Catch update as of 1 October ​2025 from entered quota dockets.​

The catch cap area opened on 10 April 2025 and closed on 18 June 2025.

​Map of East Coast Rock​ Lobster Catch-Cap Area ​