The Tasmanian Liberal Government knows that fishing is a way of life for many Tasmanians and under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future we’re committed to effective management that ensures the future of our fisheries.
Spawning closures are commonly used in squid fisheries as they offer important protection to the adults when they come together to spawn – a time when they are also most vulnerable to fishing.
To help protect the valued calamari fishery annual closures have been in place on the north coast and east coast and have applied to both recreational and commercial fishers.
Research by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) has shown that as with the east coast, calamari stocks in the south are now also depleted.
Following consultation with commercial and recreational peak bodies I have determined the areas and periods of spawning closure.
The north coast will be closed between Cape Grim and Cape Naturaliste from 1 September to 31 October 2024.
The east coast closure area, which previously applied from Lemon Rock to Marion Bay, has been extended to the south-east and now includes all waters south of Lemon Rock to Whale Head. This means the closure area will include Tasman Peninsula, Bruny Island and D’Entrecasteaux Channel.
The southern and eastern closure will be in place from 15 October to 14 November 2024.
The spawning closure setting across these regions will be in place for 2024, 2025 and 2026 inclusive to help to ensure the sustainability of the fishery into the future.
Taking or possessing calamari and other squid species is prohibited in these areas during the closure periods.
