Division 2 Prohibited size fish

9   Prohibited size fish

(1)  For the purposes of section 15 (1) of the Act, a fish is a prohibited size fish if:

(a)  in the case of a fish of a species specified in Column 1 of Table 1—the measurement or weight of the fish is less than the minimum measurement or weight specified opposite that species of fish in Column 2 of that Table, or

(b)  in the case of a fish of a species specified in Column 1 of Table 2—the measurement of the fish is more than the maximum measurement specified opposite that species of fish in Column 2 of that Table.

(1A)  For a species that has both a minimum measurement and a minimum weight, the fish is not a prohibited size fish if either the measurement or the weight exceeds the minimum.

(2)  For the purposes of section 15 (2) of the Act, the method of determining the measurement of any class of fish is as follows:

(a)  except as provided by this subclause—the overall length of the fish is to be measured from the point of the snout to the tip of the tail,

(b)  in the case of abalone—the diameter of the shell is to be measured along its longest axis,

(b1)  in the case of Balmain bug—the width of the carapace is to be measured at its widest point from spike to spike (whether or not damaged),

(c)  in the case of crab (other than spanner crab)—the length of the crab is to be measured along the body from the notch between the most protruding frontal teeth to the centre of the posterior margin of the carapace,

(d)  in the case of spanner crab—the length of the spanner crab is to be measured along the body from the base of the orbital notch to the centre of the posterior margin of the carapace,

(e)  in the case of spiny crayfish, Murray or eastern freshwater—the length of the carapace of the crayfish is to be measured along the straight line from the posterior margin of the orbit (eye) socket to the centre of the posterior margin of the carapace,

(f)  in the case of rock lobster—the length of the carapace of the rock lobster is to be measured along the straight line from the point of union of the second antennae to the centre of the posterior margin of the carapace (ignoring any hairs attached to the carapace),

(g)  in the case of turban snail—the diameter of the shell is to be measured along its longest axis.

(3)  If a fish is frozen, refrigerated or chilled, the size of the fish is to be determined as so frozen, refrigerated or chilled.

Table 1   Prohibited size fish (minimum measurements)

Part 1   Fish—Marine or estuarine

	Column 1	Column 2
Common name	Species	Minimum measurement in centimetres
Blackfish, rock	Girella elevata	30
Bream, black or southern	Acanthopagrus butcheri	25
Bream, yellowfin	Acanthopagrus australis	25
Flathead, common or dusky	Platycephalus fuscus	36
Flathead, sand	Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus	33
Flathead, tiger	Platycephalus richardsoni	33
Flounders and Soles	Species of Families Bothidae, Pleuronectidae, Cynoglossidae and Soleidae	25
Groper, blue, red or brown	Achoerodus viridis	30
Luderick (or blackfish)	Girella tricuspidata	27
Mackerel, spanish	Scomberomorus commerson	75
Mackerel, spotted	Scomberomorus munroi	60
Mahi-mahi (or dolphin fish)	Coryphaena hippurus	60
Morwong, jackass	Nemadactylus macropterus	30
Morwong, red or sea carp	Cheilodactylus fuscus	30
Morwong, rubberlip	Nemadactylus douglasii	30
Mullet, sea or bully	Mugil cephalus	30
Mulloway (or jewfish)	Argyrosomus japonicus	45
Perch, pearl	Glaucosoma scapulare	30
School shark	Galeorhinus galeus	91
Snapper	Pagrus auratus	30
Tailor	Pomatomus saltatrix	30
Tarwhine	Rhabdosargus sarba	20
Teraglin	Atractoscion aequidens	38
Trevally, silver	Pseudocaranx dentex	30
Whiting, sand or silver	Sillago ciliata	27
Yellowtail kingfish	Seriola lalandi	65

Part 2   Invertebrates—Marine or estuarine

	Column 1	Column 2
Common name	Species	Minimum measurement in centimetres
Abalone	Haliotis rubra	11.7
Balmain bug	Ibacus peronii or ibacus chacei	10
Crab, blue swimmer or sand	Portunus pelagicus	6
Crab, mud, black or mangrove	Scylla serrata	8.5
Crab, spanner	Ranina ranina	9.3
Lobster, eastern rock	Jasus verreauxi	10.4
Lobster, southern rock (male)	Jasus edwardsii	11
Lobster, southern rock (female)	Jasus edwardsii	10.5
Snail, Sydney turban	Turbo torquatus	7.5
Snail, military turban	Turbo militaris	7.5

Part 3   Fish—Freshwater or estuarine

	Column 1	Column 2
Common name	Species	Minimum measurement in centimetres
Catfish, eel-tailed	Tandanus tandanus	30
Cod, Murray	Maccullochella peelii peelii	50 (for fish in possession or sold before 30 November 2007) 55 (for fish in possession or sold on or after 1 December 2007 and before 1 December 2008) 60 (for fish in possession or sold on or after 1 December 2008)
Eel, longfinned	Anguilla reinhartdii	58
Eel, shortfinned	Anguilla australis	30
Perch, golden or yellow belly	Macquaria ambigua	30
Perch, silver	Bidyanus bidyanus	25
Salmon, Atlantic	Salmo salar	25
Trout, brook	Salvelinus fontinalis	25
Trout, brown	Salmo trutta	25
Trout, rainbow	Oncorhynchus mykiss	25

Part 4   Invertebrates—Freshwater or estuarine

	Column 1	Column 2
Common name	Species	Minimum measurement in centimetres
Spiny crayfish, Murray or eastern freshwater	Euastacus spp.	9

Part 5   Minimum weight

	Column 1	Column 2
Common name	Species	Minimum weight in grams
Eel, longfinned	Anguilla reinhartdii	500

Table 2   Prohibited size fish (maximum measurements)

Part 1   Invertebrates—Marine or estuarine

	Column 1	Column 2
Common name	Species	Maximum measurement in centimetres
Lobster, eastern rock	Jasus verreauxi	18

10   Defence—taking of mullet for bait

For the purposes of section 21 (d) of the Act, it is a defence to a prosecution for an offence under section 16 (1) of the Act (relating to possession of prohibited size fish) if:

(a)  the prohibited size fish concerned are mullet, and

(b)  the fish do not exceed 15 cm in measurement as determined in accordance with clause 9 (2) (a), and

(c)  the fish have been lawfully taken by a person other than a commercial fisher, and

(d)  the fish are live bait, and

(e)  the person charged with the offence is in possession of no more than 20 of the prohibited size fish.