*This page has been updated to reflect new rules that apply from 1 November 2022.*
To find out what's changed, watch the video - Key Rules You Need to Know:
The following rules apply to both southern rock lobster and eastern (green) rock lobster which are also referred to in Tasmania as crayfish.
Licences
- You must be 10 years or older to hold a rock lobster licence.
Seasons
Size limits
There are two size limit zones. Rock lobsters must be marked according to the zone they were taken from.
If you are moving between size limit zones, you must make a transit report (see transiting between zones), and any rock lobsters in your possession must meet the size limit requirement of the zone you are entering.
For more detail, visit the
measuring, marking and sexing rock lobster page.
Zone | Size Limit |
Northern Zone - Waters from 42°00'S (near Henty River) north and east to Cape Pillar (43°13'18"S). See map below.
You cannot possess female lobster smaller than 120mm inside the Northern Zone, even if they were caught in the Southern Zone.
| Female: 120 mm |
| Male: 110 mm |
Southern Zone - Waters from Cape PiIlar (43°13'18"S) south and west to 42°00'S near Henty River (includes Frederick Henry and Norfolk Bays and Storm Bay).
| Female: 105 mm |
Watch the video - Size limits and tail-marking rules
Bag, possession, boat and boat gear limits
You must have a license to fish for rock lobster, possess rock lobster on state waters, or possess more than two rock lobster on land.
Children under the age of 10 cannot fish for or possess rock lobster.
Recreational rock lobster bag and possession limits
On the water*
* Eastern Region possession limits and tail marking requirements apply within 100 metres of unloading any rock lobster, except where the fisher's shack or home is within the 100 metres
Important:
- If you are on State waters with more than the daily bag limit, you must prove you have fished for more than one day. Possession limits apply.
- You cannot transit from the Western Region to the Eastern Region if you possess more than 2 rock lobsters (Eastern Region limit).
- If you are travelling on a commercially trading vessel (i.e. a passenger ferry), a possession limit of 10 rock lobster applies for licensed persons, and 2 for non-licensed persons.
On land**
| Licensed | 10 |
| Non-licensed | 2 |
Child under 10
| 0 |
**greater than 100 metres of unloading any rock lobster, unless the fisher's shack or home is within the 100 metres (Eastern region)
Setting gear at season opening
You can only possess a rock lobster pot on state waters from 6am the day before the season opens for that region or zone and only set a pot after 1pm on the same day. Pots can then be pulled after midnight.
See Rock Lobster Gear and How to Mark It for other rules relating to rock lobster gear.
Transiting between zones
Transiting between bag limit zones
You
cannot transit from the Western Region to the Eastern Region if you possess more rock lobster than the Eastern Region limits.
Fishers transiting from west to east must comply with Eastern Region bag limits before passing Whale Head or Point Sorell.
There are
no transit reports when moving between bag limit zones.
Transisting between size limit zones
You can transit between size limit zones with lobsters on board, but any lobsters in your possession must comply with size limit requirements of the area you are transiting to.
This means you cannot possess female lobsters smaller than 120mm in the Northern Zone, even if they were caught in the Southern Zone.
When transiting between zones, you must make sure:
- You make a transit report by phoning 1300 720 647, or via the size limit zone transit online form, at least one hour before crossing any size limit boundary.
- Lobsters are
tail marked based on the zone they were taken in.
- You do not possess female lobsters smaller than 120mm in the Northern Zone.
You do not have to make a transit report if you only have rock lobster gear, and no rock lobsters, on board. Only one transit report is required per boat.
Watch the video - Transiting between size limit zones with rock lobster on board
Transiting the D’Entrecasteaux Channel
You cannot possess pots, rings or lobsters in any part of the
East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone until that area opens,
except in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and River Derwent waters - see map below.
When waters outside the ECSRZ are open but the ECSRZ is closed, you can transit
D’Entrecasteaux Channel and River Derwent waters with pots, rings, and/or rock lobster onboard provided:
- You make a transit report by phoning 1300 720 647 at least one hour before entering the closed waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel or River Derwent
(when leaving AND returning).
- You directly transit between closed and open waters (no swimming, diving or stopping).
- You only leave from or return to a public wharf, boat ramp or jetty and unload your lobster, pots and rings within an hour of landing there.
Once the ECSRZ opens, you do not have to make these reports.All transiting must occur via the southern end of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel.
Transiting is not permitted through other seasonally closed areas including the northern boundary of the ECSRZ, from areas such as St Helens or Ansons Bay.
Transiting is not permitted through the D'Entrecasteaux Channel or River Derwent when the entire Eastern Region is closed.
Watch the video - Transiting reporting explained
What can I use for bait?
There are restrcitions on what species can be used for bait in rock lobster pots and rings. Find more details here.
Sharing rock lobster when group fishing
Rock lobster can be shared between licensed pot fishers on the same boat provided:
- A fisher’s excess catch is only given to another fisher on the same boat who has a pot set, or who has retrieved a pot that was set within 250 metres of any other pot used.
- Any retained lobster is tail marked in accordance with the rules.
- After lobster are marked, each fisher must not possess more than the bag limit.
- The boat operator ensures the total number of lobsters is within the boat limit.
Group sharing of rock lobster does not apply to lobster taken by diving.
Watch the video - How to share rock lobster when group fishing
Holding lobster on an unattended vessel
A fisher can leave lobsters on a boat unattended and be more than 100 metres away provided:
- The lobsters are not left unattended for more than 24 hours.
- The lobsters are in a separate compartment or container (such as a bag) which is marked with their licence number or unique identifying code.
- The fisher is not using a cauf at the same time.
Eating rock lobster at sea
You can cut up and eat one rock lobster for each licence holder on a boat. This rock lobster is included in your daily bag limit.
Humanely killing rock lobster
To avoid stress and achieve best eating qualities rock lobster should be humanely killed before cooking. This can be done by:
-
Step 1: Freezer chill lobster in air at deep freeze temperatures of - 13°C (5°F) for approximately 30 minutes until rendered insensible.
-
Step 2: After chilling, the insensible crustacean should be killed immediately. This is most easily achieved by cutting through the centreline of the head and abdomen (splitting the lobster in half) or inserting a knife into the head of the animal (spiking).
For more information see the RSPCA Guidelines.
Rock Lobster Catch monitoring app
Recreational fishers can voluntarily log their rock lobster catch to improve fisheries management. Catch reporting will become mandatory in November 2023.
Rock Lobster Catch Monitoring App Trial
Illustration by Peter Gouldthorpe