NOTICE OF THE TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH FOR THE COMMERCIAL ABALONE FISHERY 2026

Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995

Section 94

DEFINITION OF THE PARTS OF THE ABALONE FISHERY AND THE PORTION OF THE TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH TO BE TAKEN IN EACH PART IN 2026

I, Gavin Pearce, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, administering the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 (the Act), acting under Section 94 of that Act, hereby:

1. Set the total allowable catch for the entire commercial abalone fishery for the year 2026 at 731.5 tonnes; and

2. Determine that the parts of the commercial abalone fishery from which the total allowable catch for the year 2026 is to be taken are as specified in Schedule 1; and

3. Determine that the portion of the total allowable catch to be taken from each part of the commercial abalone fishery for the year 2026 is as specified in Schedule 2; and

4. Determine that the amount of abalone which may be taken from each part of the fishery pursuant to each abalone quota unit in the year 2026 is as specified in Schedule 3.

SCHEDULE 1

I. The western blacklip abalone part of the fishery

being that part of the comercial abalone fishery involving only blacklip abalone in State waters adjacent to the south and west coasts of the mainland of Tasmania between an imaginary straight line due south from Whale Head near South East Cape and an imaginary straight line due west from the mouth of the Wild Wave River near Sandy Cape;

II. The eastern blacklip abalone part of the fishery

being that part of the commercial abalone fishery involving only blacklip abalone in State waters adjacent to the east, south-east and south coasts of Tasmania bounded in the north by an imaginary line starting from the northern side of the mouth of the Great Musselroe River at Musselroe Bay, running due west for 100 metres, following the shoreline 100 metres from shore to the northernmost tip of Musselroe Point, running due north until intersection with the line of latitude 40^o 48' 00" South and running due east to the outer limit of State waters and bounded in the south by an imaginary straight line running due south from Whale Head near South East Cape to the outer limit of State waters;

III. The northern blacklip abalone part of the fishery

being that part of the commercial abalone fishery involving only blacklip abalone in State waters adjacent to the north, north-west and north-east coasts of the mainland of Tasmania and King Island bounded in the east by an imaginary line from the northern side of the mouth of the Great Musselroe River at Musselroe Bay running due west for 100 metres, then following the shoreline 100 metres from shore to the northernmost tip of Musselroe Point, then running due north until intersection with the line of latitude 40^o 48' 00" South, and running due east to the outer limit of State waters, and bounded in the west by an imaginary straight line running due west from the mouth of the Wild Wave River near Sandy Cape to the outer limit of State waters but excluding those waters within the Bass Strait blacklip abalone part of the fishery;

IV. The Bass Strait blacklip abalone part of the fishery

being that part of the commercial abalone fishery involving only blacklip abalone in State waters adjacent to the north coast of Tasmania, the Furneaux Group of islands, and in Bass Strait bounded in the west by an imaginary line running from the northernmost point of Woolnorth Point to the point of latitude 40° 37’ 14.40” South, longitude 144° 41’ 37.87” East, then running due north to the outer limit of State waters and bounded in the east by an imaginary line beginning where the line of longitude 147° 27’ 00” East meets the high-water mark of the north coast of the mainland of Tasmania in Anderson Bay then running due north until its junction with the line of latitude 40° 39’ South then due east along that line of latitude to the limit of State waters; and

V. The greenlip abalone part of the fishery

being that part of the commercial abalone fishery involving only greenlip abalone.

SCHEDULE 2

The portion of the total allowable catch to be taken from each part of the commercial abalone fishery for the year 2026 is:

I. the western blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 287 tonnes;

II. the eastern blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 203 tonnes;

III. the northern blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 56 tonnes;

IV. the Bass Strait blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 87.5 tonnes; and

V. the greenlip abalone part of the fishery – 98 tonnes.

SCHEDULE 3

The amount of abalone which may be taken from each part of the fishery pursuant to each abalone quota unit in the year 2026 is:

I. the western blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 82 kilograms;

II. eastern blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 58 kilograms;

III. the northern blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 16 kilograms;

IV. the Bass Strait blacklip abalone part of the fishery – 25 kilograms; and

V. the greenlip abalone part of the fishery – 28 kilograms.

Any expression used in this notice having a particular meaning under the Act or the Rules has the same meaning in this notice.

All coordinates of latitude and longitude specified in this notice are to be determined by reference to the Geocentric Datum of Australia (also known as "the GDA" or "GDA94") as defined in the Commonwealth Gazette No. GN 35, 6 September 1995.

Dated this 3rd day of December 2025

GAVIN PEARCE MP

MINISTER FOR PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AND WATER

Information

(This information does not form part of the notice)

This notice sets the total allowable catch for the 2026 fishing quota year for the Tasmanian commercial abalone fishery. The notice also defines the parts of the fishery (also known as zones) and the type and amount of abalone which can be taken from each fishery part/zone.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment - modified: 15 December 2025, expires: 1 January 2027