The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the commercial Tasmanian Abalone Fishery has been set at 773.5 tonnes for the 2023 fishing season, a 3 per cent reduction on the previous season.
The TAC includes 682.5 tonnes of blacklip abalone distributed across four zones of the fishery, and 91 tonnes of greenlip abalone statewide.
Catch limits are now at historically low levels. For more than a decade, the annual commercial abalone TAC has been incrementally reduced from 2660 tonnes in 2010, to 773.5 tonnes in 2023. The reductions have been made at the same time as minimum size limit increases in the commercial fishery.
The Western Zone, which was classified as depleted in the 2020 Status of Australian Fish Stocks Report, has seen the largest reduction - down from 339.5 tonnes in 2022 to 311.5 tonnes in 2023.
The TAC is set by the Minister at the start of the commercial fishery quota year (1 January to 31 December) based on advice from the Abalone Fishing Advisory Committee and the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee.
The TAC setting process is informed by annual stock assessments conducted by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and guided by a formal harvest strategy for the abalone fishery.
The harvest strategy provides a best practice framework for fishery decision-making, including clear rules relating to TAC adjustments, to ensure the future sustainability of the abalone fishery.
More about commercial abalone fishery
More about recreational abalone fishing