Detailed Rules
Bag limits
Eastern Region - 2
Western Region - 5
Northern Bass Strait - 2
- Limits apply to southern and eastern (green) rock lobster combined.
- You cannot keep rock lobster in berry (with eggs attached).
- You cannot move from the Western Region to the Eastern Region if you possess more rock lobster than the Eastern Region limits.
- Highgrading your catch is not allowed. You can't bring more than your daily bag limit back to the boat or shore to sort your catch there. Fish are regarded as taken and in your possession as soon as collected our caught.
Size limits
Northern Zone - male 110mm, female 120mm.
Southern Zone - male 110mm, female 105mm
Moving between size limit zones
You can move between size limit zones with rock lobster on board, provided that:
- You do not possess female rock lobster smaller than 120mm in the Northern Zone.
- You make a transit report to the Recreational Fishing Reporting Service (1300 720 647) or via the online size limit transit form at least one hour before crossing any size limit boundary.
- Lobsters are tail-marked according to the zone they were taken in.
You do not have to make a size limit zone transit report if you have no rock lobster on board. Only one transit report is required per boat.
Possession limits
On mainland Tasmania, Flinders, Cape Barren and Bruny Islands including homes, shacks and vehicles:
Licenced - 10
Non-licenced - 2
Child under 10 - 0
These possession limits also apply if you are travelling on a commercial trading vessel (e.g. the Bruny Island Ferry or Spirit of Tasmania)
When on state waters or islands other than Flinders Cape Barren and Bruny Islands, and if you can demonstrate you have fished for more than one day (e.g. an overnight trip to an island), you may possess a maximum of:
- Eastern Region - 4
- Western Region - 10
- Northern Bass Strait - 4
- Non-licenced fisher - 0
Eastern Region possession limit of 4 applies within 100m of unloading any rock lobster, except where the fisher's shack or home is within the 100m.
- Limits apply to southern rock lobster and eastern (green) rock lobster combined.
- You cannot move from the Western Region to the Eastern Region if you possess more rock lobster than the Eastern Region limits.
Boat limits
Eastern Region - 10
Western Region - 25
Northern Bass Strait - 10
- Limits apply to southern rock lobster and eastern (green) rock lobster combined.
- You cannot move from the Western Region to the Eastern Region if you possess more rock lobster than the Eastern Region limits.
Licences
- A rock lobster pot licence allows you to use one pot.
- A rock lobster dive licence allows you to take rock lobster by hand.
- A rock lobster ring licence allows you to use up to four rings.
Aboriginal fishers are exempt from holding a licence, but must comply with all other rules except catch reporting. Where gear must be marked with a licence number, Aboriginal fishers shoudl use a
unique identifying code (UIC).
Catch reporting
You must report your rock lobster catch using the Fishing Tas app or telephone reporting service (1300 720 647).
- Whenever you fish for rock lobster, even if you caught none, and
- Immediately after tail-marking your last lobster, and
- Before travelling more than 250m away from where you fished, or attempted to fish.
Visit
recreational rock lobster catch reporting for more detail about how these requirements apply to you, such as when you're out of reception, reporting for others or fishing from boat or shore.
Catch reporting is a compulsory requirement for all recreational rock lobster licence holders.
Tail-marking rock lobster
Rock lobster that you keep must be marked as recreationally-caught.
- Southern Zone: Cut off at least a quarter of the central tail fan segment OR punch a 10 mm hole in it.
- Northern Zone: Cut off at least a quarter of both outer tail fan segments OR punch a 10mm hole in them.
If fishing from a boat, mark the tail fan within 5 minutes of the lobster being brought to the boat, before retrieving another pot, moving the boat, and before landing.
If fishing from the shore, mark the tail fan within 5 minutes of landing and within 50 metres of where you are fishing.
Rules for season opening
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.
Transiting seasonally closed waters
You cannot possess pots, rings or rock lobster on closed waters, unless you are:
- in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and
- following the rules for transiting the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and River Derwent.
This means:
- You cannot possess pots, rings or rock lobster in any part of the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone until that area opens (other than circumstances specified above).
- When the Western Region is open and the Eastern Region is closed, you cannot transit from the Western Region to the Eastern Region with pots, rings or rock lobster onboard.
Transiting the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and River Derwent
When waters outside the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone (ECSRZ) are open but the ECSRZ is closed, you can transit the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and River Derwent waters with pots, rings and/or rock lobster onboard provided:
- You make a transit report at least one hour before entering the D’Entrecasteaux Channel or River Derwent by phoning 1300 720 647.
- You directly transit between closed and open waters (no swimming, diving or stopping).
- You only leave from and return to a public wharf, boat ramp or jetty and unload your lobster, pots and rings within an hour of landing there.
- You make a transit report at least one hour before re-entering the closed area with pots and/or rock lobster onboard.
Once the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone opens, you don't have to make these reports.
Bait and gear restrictions
Gear
Only certain gear can be used to take rock lobster, and you must have the relevant licence. See rock lobster fishing gear for more information inclduing gear specifications.
A maximum of 5 rock lobster pots and 20 rock lobster rings are permitted to be on, or used from, a single boat. The person in charge of the boat is responsible for adhering to boat limits.
Bait
There are restrictions around what can be used as bait in rock lobster pots. See bait for more information.
Area restrictions
There are restrictions on the taking of rock lobster in marine nature reserves and fishery research areas.
The use of rock lobster pots is prohibited in:
- The D'Entrecasteaux Channel,
- River Derwent,
- Georges Bay, and;
- King Island.
However, rock lobster rings can be used in these areas.
Other rules
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.
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.
More Information
Page Content
Measuring and sexing rock lobster
Measuring
The length of the rock lobster's carapace (shell) is used to measure its size. To measure a rock lobster:
- Spread the antennal horns.
- Place the gauge tip hard into the middle notch.
- Measure from the notch to the end of the carapace.
If you are taking rock lobster close to minimum size, be sure your measuring device is accurate.
Sexing rock lobster
Female rock lobster have:
- Large, overlapping swimmerets (flaps) under the tail
- A small nipper claw on the end of each rear leg.
Male rock lobster have:
- small swimmerets (flaps) under the tail
- no nipper claws on the rear legs.
Female and male rock lobster tails
You cannot take rock lobster in berry (with eggs) or strip the eggs. If you catch a lobster in berry, you must return it to the water as soon as possible.
Habitat
Found around Tasmania near rocky reefs and in crevices from close inshore out to 200 metres depth. After hatching, the young larvae undergo several complicated life stages for between 9-24 months.
Fishing information
Rock lobster are highly sought after by recreational fishers who use pots and rings and also dive to catch this species. Popular baits used include fish heads and frames and occasionally raw meats. They are opportunistic carnivores consuming species such as mussels, abalone, sea urchins, crabs and worms. Predators of rock lobster include octopus, sharks and fish species such as wrasse, ling and cod.
Handling
Handle lobsters carefully if they are soft-shelled or in berry. Be careful of sharp spines around the base of their antennae. Gently release undersized lobster back in the reef area where they were taken.
Public Health advice
Follow any public health alerts relating to eating wild shellfish - refer to the
Department of Public Health or phone their hotline on 1800 671 738.
Cooking
Rock lobster has firm, white meat with a rich medium flavour. It has a low oil content and is suitable to simmer, steam, grill or barbeque.
It is considered a delicacy by many Tasmanians.
Humane killing of rock lobster
To avoid stress and achieve best eating qualities, rock lobster should be humanely killed before cooking and this can be done by:
(Step 1): Freezer chill lobster in air at deep freeze temperatures of -13 degrees Celsius 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.
Recipe: Fresh Boiled Rock Lobster
Chill the live rock lobster down in the freezer for an hour to render it unconscious. Cook by boiling it in a large pot in clean seawater. If saltwater is not available, make salted tapwater by adding one tablespoon salt for every litre of water.
Boiling times:
- 600-800 grams: 9 to 10 minutes
- 800-1000 grams: 11 to 12 minutes
- 1 kilo: 12 minutes
- For every 100 grams over 1 kg add another minute
- 2 kilos +: 22 minutes
- For every 100 grams over 2 kilograms, add another 45 seconds
The lobster is properly cooked when the shell turns a brighter red and the meat is creamy white with no translucent areas. Put the lobster in a bowl of ice to stop the cooking process. Plunging it in cold water can let water into the body cavity, diluting the fresh lobster flavour.