Crayfish for Christmas is a way of life for many Tasmanians and that is why the season will open on November 18 for recreational fishers and November 27 for the commercial sector – the same weekends as last year.
No bag limits will change and the Government will not be introducing tags.
The season closure dates will also remain the same, with the recreation fishery closing as usual at the end of April.
The Hodgman Liberal Government has made protecting the Tasmanian way of life a key priority in our Plan to Build Your Future.
That’s why we will continue to work with recreational and commercial stakeholders on the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Strategy that aims to restore the unfished stock to greater than 20 per cent.
The Government is also delivering on our election commitment to help rebuild rock lobster stocks through the East Coast Rock Lobster Relocation Program with funding of $315,000 over 3 years.
The program aims to relocate about 150,000 rock lobsters from the slow-growth, deep waters in the South West, to faster growth areas on the East Coast to boost biomass and spawning in the area and improve catch rates for commercial and recreational fishers.
Thank you to the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishermen’s Association (TRLFA) for their operational management of the program.
Tasmania’s lifestyle is the envy of the world and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure catching crayfish remains a pleasurable pursuit for generations of Tasmanians to come.
Closure Dates
Recreational Eastern Region (male and female) rock lobster from 1 May 2018
Recreational Western Region female rock lobster from 1 May 2018, male rock lobster from 1 Sept
Commercial Fishery
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