How to report your rock lobster catch using the Fishing Tas app

From 2 December 2023, you must report your rock lobster catch using the Fishing Tas app or the telephone reporting service.

To make a rock lobster catch report in the Fishing Tas app, tap the rock lobster icon on the menu at the bottom of the app and follow the prompts. When using the Fishing Tas app, you can choose to make catch reports for multiple fishers. You have the option to do this after starting a catch report and entering the date you fished.

See 'Making a catch report' below for more detail.

When making a Catch Report, do not close your report before you have tapped 'Submit' or your report will not be saved.

Learn more about recreational rock lobster catch reporting.

Registering for catch reporting

The first time you make a catch report using the Fishing Tas app you will need to register with your licence (or UIC) details and information.

To register:

1. Tap the rock lobster icon on the menu at the bottom of the app to open catch reporting.
2. Enter your first and last name, licence number, email address and date of birth that is listed on your licence.
3. Tap 'Register'
   

Only register for catch reporting if you have an active rock lobster licence or UIC. Make sure the details you provide match those shown on your licence. 

 

It's important that the details you enter when registering for catch reporting match what is on your licence. If you have made a mistake when entering your details, you will need to uninstall and reinstall the app.

An edit function is currently in development and will be available in future versions of the app.

Making a catch report

A Catch Report can be made on the water, but must be made before travelling 100m from your point of landing. Your point of landing is wherever you have brought your rock lobster ashore after fishing (e.g. the boat ramp or beach).

A Catch Report must always be made after fishing, regardless of whether you caught any rock lobster. 

Starting a catch report

1. Open catch reporting by tapping on the rock lobster icon in the menu at the bottom of the app.
2. Tap ‘Make catch report’
3. Enter the date you fished and tap next.
4. Choose who you are reporting for. If you are only reporting for yourself, tap next.
• If you are reporting on behalf of another fisher, tap ‘Add another fisher’, enter their details and tap 'Add fisher'.  
• If you have previously reported on behalf of this fisher, their details will already be in your app and you can simply select their name. You can deselect a fisher by tapping on their name again.
• You can remove fishers from this list by tapping the red 'x' next to their name.

Once you have selected all fishers you would like to report catch for, tap next.

How to add another fisher to report on their behalf

Making a catch report for each fisher

You will need to make a Catch Report for each fisher you nominated when you started your report.

1. Select the fisher you would like to complete a Catch Report for.
2. Choose the general area where that person fished on the map by tapping on the map. Tap next.
• A blue marker will appear where you have tapped to mark the general location you fished. The location does not have to be precise.
• You can change the location you have selected by tapping again somewhere else on the map.  
• You can navigate this map in the same way you navigate the main map in the app.
3. Choose the methods that person used to fish. You can select multiple methods. Tap next.
4. Enter how many rock lobster that person kept. If they didn’t keep any rock lobster, tap next.
5. Enter how many rock lobster they released. If they didn’t release any rock lobster, tap next.

Complete this process for yourself and any person you are reporting catch for.

Reviewing and submitting your report

After you have entered everyone’s catch details, you will need to review the information before submitting your report.

1. Tap ‘Review’
2. Scroll through the report to check all of the details you have provided are correct.
• If any information is wrong, tap on the blue pencil next to the incorrect information to edit it.  
• It is the responsibility of the person making the report to ensure that all information submitted is accurate.
3. Optional: Add any observations from your trip and rate how successful it was. You do not have to fill out these fields, but you can choose to add extra information about your trip that is useful for you. This information will be stored in your trip log for your reference later.
4. Tap ‘Complete Trip’. 
   
• If you caught or released any rock lobster, a message will pop-up asking if you would like to include voluntary citizen science data like the sex, weight or size of lobsters.
• If you would like to provide citizen science data, tap ‘Provide voluntary data’. If you select this option, your report will not submit until you have provided the citizen science data.
• If you do not want to provide citizen science data, tap ‘Submit’.  

You can check your report has successfully saved and submitted by checking it has appeared in your Trip Log.  

If your report has a cloud icon with a line through it next to it in the Trip Log, the report has saved but it has not been submitted. This will happen if you did not have phone reception when you submitted your report (see below).

​Catch Report saved and submitted	Catch Report saved but not submitted
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Making and submitting reports when you have no reception

If you do not have phone reception, when you tap ‘Submit’ you will receive an error message saying ‘SEND FAILED’. This means your report has been saved, but it has not been submitted.

When you return to reception, you will need to submit these reports.

To submit these reports when you return to reception:

1. Tap ‘View trip log’.
2. Select the month you made the report in.
3. Tap the report/s that have not submitted.
• Reports that have been saved but not submitted will appear at the top of your Trip Log and will have a cloud icon with a line through it next to them.
•  
4. Scroll to the bottom of the report and tap ‘Submit’ or choose to provide voluntary citizen science data and then tap ‘Submit’.

Providing citizen science data

You can choose to provide extra citizen science data about rock lobster you kept or released, such as their sex, size and weight. 

To do this:

1. After you have reviewed your Catch Report, tap next.
2. Tap ‘Provide Voluntary Data’.
3. Choose which fisher’s catch you would like provide citizen science data for.
4. Enter citizen science data for each lobster the fisher kept or released.
• If you do not know data for a lobster you caught or released, select 'unknown' for sex and '0' for length and weight.
5. Repeat for any other fishers you are reporting catch for.
6. Tap ‘Submit extra details’ and review the details you have provided.
7. Tap Submit.
   

Viewing your Trip Log

You can view your trip log by tapping ‘View trip log’ from the Catch Reporting home screen.

Every Catch Report you make for yourself will appear in your Trip Log. Catch reports made on behalf of other fishers will not appear in your Trip Log. 

Viewing your Season Report

You can view a summary of your season by tapping ‘View full report’ from the catch reporting homescreen. Only your catch data will be included in your season report. Catch you reported on behalf of other fishers will not appear here.

Troubleshooting

If you have encountered issues when making a Catch Report, please check the Troubleshooting page for possible solutions.