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Legal Sizes and Bag Limits for Western Australia

 

 

The list below gives details of the Legal size and bag limits for fish and crustaceans in Western Australia.

Bag and size limits are vital conservation measures to protect the future of WA's recreational fish stocks. There is a definite limit to the number of fish which can be caught before we start to reduce fish breeding stocks and future catches.

Why does Australia have Size & Bag Limits?  - Click here to read a great scientific explanation by CRC Reef Research

Scientists consider most of WA's fish stocks are now on the brink of being over-fished and it is crucial that every fisher helps conserve fish populations by keeping to bag and size limits.

Daily bag limits have been set to help share the available catch among the thousands of fishers who concentrate on these species. Only someone actively fishing, not just watching, is entitled to a bag limit. These bag limits apply throughout Western Australia, though there are also special limits for areas such as Marine Parks.

 
DEMERSAL FINFISH

Total mixed species daily bag limit per fisher.  (This is the combined number of demersal finfish you can take.)West Coast Bioregion: 2
South Coast, Gascoyne, North Coast bioregions​: 5

Closed Season:
West Coast Bioregion: 15 October to 15 December (inclusive)
South Coast, Gascoyne, North Coast Bioregions: No demersal Closed Season.

 

 

Individual Species Daily Bag Limits

Species

Minimum Legal Size West Coast Other Regions
Baldchin Grouper
Choerodon rubescens
400mm 2 3
Tuskfish
Choerodon Species
Blackspot & Blue Tuskfish: 400mm 2 3
Blue Morwong - Queen Snapper
Nemadactylus valenciennesi
410mm 2 3
Boarfish
Paristiopterus Species
N/A 2 3
Cods
Serranidae Family
Estuary Cod: 400mm
Breaksea Cod: 300mm
Estuary & Malabar Cod over 1000mm or 30kg are protected (Recreational anglers only)
2 3
Coral Trout
Plectropomus Species
450mm 1 1
Coronation Trout
Variola louti
N/A 1 1
West Australian Dhufish
Glaucosoma hebracum
500mm
West Coast: Boat limit of 2 (6 on Charter)
1 1
Dory, John
Zeus faber
N/A 2 3
Dory, Mirror
Zenopsis nebulosa
N/A 2 3
Emperors & Seabream
Lethrinidae Family

All species including Spangled Emperor, Red Throat Emperor, Robinson's Sea Bream except Blue-Lined Emperor (Black Snapper)

Spangled Emperor: 410mm
Other Emperor:  280mm
2 3
Emperor, Blue-Lined (Black Snapper)
Lethrinus laticaudis
320mm 2 5
Foxfish
Bodianus Species
N/A 2 3
Pigfish
Bodianus Species
N/A 2 3
Hapuku
Polyprion oxygeneios
N/A 2 3
Bass Grouper
Polyprion americanus
N/A 2 3
Trevalla
Centrolophidae Family
N/A 2 3
Red Snapper (Bight redfish, Swallowtail)
Berycidae Family
300mm 2 N/A

Except for the South Coast where you may take 8 Bight Redfish and 8 Swallowtail, Plus mixed daily bag limit of 5 other demersal finfish

Pearl Perch
Glaucosoma Species (other than Glaucosoma hebraicum - West Australian Dhufish)
N/A 2 3
Pink Snapper
Pagrus auratus
500mm
West Coast Bioregion; south of 31˚S latitude (just north of Lancelin and inner gulfs of Shark Bay)

All other areas: 410mm

2

 


2

2 (Shark Bay)

 

 

3

Tropical Snappers and Sea Perch
Lutjanidae Family

All species including Red Emperor, Crimson Sea Perch, Scarlet Sea Perch, Chinaman Fish, Ruby Snapper, Goldband Snapper except Fingermark, Mangrove Jack, Stripey Sea Perch

Red Emperor: 410mm 2 3
Western Blue Grouper
Achoerodus gouldii
500mm 1 1

 

PELAGIC FINFISH

Total mixed species daily bag limit per fisher statewide: 3 (fish combined)

Eg: 3 fish = 2 Spanish Mackerel and 1 Mahi Mahi OR 3 Spanish Mackerel OR 2 Mahi Mahi and 1 Yellowfin Tuna.

 

Species

Minimum Legal Size
Amberjack
Seriola dumerili
600mm
Samson Fish
Seriola hippos
600mm
Yellowtail Kingfish
Seriola lalandi
600mm
Barracuda
Sphyaena barracuda
N/A
Barracouta
Thyrsites atun
N/A
Cobia (Black Kingfish)
Rachycentron canadum
750mm
Gemfish
Rexea solandri
N/A
Grey Mackerel (Broad Barred Mackerel)
Scomberomorus semifasciatus
750mm
School Mackerel
Scomberomorus queenslandicus
500mm
Shark Mackerel
Grammatorcynus bicarinatus
500mm
Spanish Mackerel
Scomberomorus commerson
900mm
Spotted Mackerel
Scomberomorus munroi
500mm
Mahi Mahi (Dolphinfish)
Coryphaena hippurus
500mm
Marlin
Istiophoridae Family

*Individual Species Daily Bag Limit = 1

N/A
Sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus

*Individual Species Daily Bag Limit = 1

N/A
Swordfish
Xiphiidae Family

*Individual Species Daily Bag Limit = 1

N/A
Sharks and Rays
Class Chondrichthyes
West and South Coast Bioregions: Whaler Sharks Maximum Size 700mm interdorsal fin length ie the measurement from the front of the first dorsal fin to the insertion of the second (rear) dorsal fin.
Giant Trevally (GT)
Caranx ignoblis
N/A
Big Eye Tuna
Thunnus obesus
N/A
Dogtooth Tuna
Gymnosarda unicolor
N/A
Longtail Tuna
Thunnus tonggol
N/A
Mackerel Tuna
Euthynnus affinis
N/A
Northern Bluefin Tuna
Thunnus orientalis
N/A
Skipjack Tuna
Katsuwonis pelamis
N/A
Southern Bluefin Tuna
Thunnus maccoyii
N/A
Yellowfin Tuna
Thunnus albacares
N/A
Wahoo
Acanthocybium solandri
900mm

 

NEAR-SHORE | ESTUARINE FINFISH

Total mixed species daily bag limit per angler Statewide.  (This is the combined number of near-shore or estuarine finfish you can take.) is 16

Eg: 16 fish = 8 Tailor (individual species limit is 8), 4 West Australian Salmon (individual species limit is 4) and 4 Snook.

Species

Minimum Legal Size

Individual Species Daily Bag Limits

Barramundi
Lates calcarifer
550mm
(Maximum size is 800mm - Recreational anglers only)
2
Possession limit is 2
Black Bream, Silver Bream (Tarwhine), Northwest Black Bream, Yellowfin Bream
Acanthopagrus Species and Rhabdosargus Sarba
250mm
Yellowfin Bream: 300mm
only 2 Black Bream over 400mm in Swan & Canning Rivers
6
Bonito and Tunas (all other species not specifically mentioned in the Large Pelagic Species - above)
Scombridae Species
N/A 8
Catfish - Marine & Estuarine
Ariidae and Plotosidae families
Cobbler 430mm - this species is totally protected in Swan & Canning Rivers 8
Chinaman Cod
Epinephelus rivulatus
N/A 4
Dart Fish
Trachinotus species
N/A 8
Fingermark
Lutjanus johnii
300mm 4
Flathead
Platycephalidae family
300mm 8
Flounder
|Pseudorhombus species
250mm 8
Javelinfish
Haemulidae Family
300mm 8
Sweetlips
Haemulidae family
300mm 8
Leatherjacket Fish
Monacanthidae family
250mm 8
Mulloway
Argyrosomus japonicus
500mm 2
Black Jewfish (Northern Mulloway)
Protonibea diacanthus
700mm 2
Mangrove Jack
Lutjanus argentimaculatus
300mm 2
Long Finned Pike
Dinolestes lewini
300mm 8
Sea Sweep
Scorpis aequipinnis
N/A 4
Snook or Sea Pike
Sphyraenidae family
Snook or Striped Barracuda: 300mm 8
Stripey Seaperch
Lutjanus carponotatus
300mm 4
Tailor
Pomatomus saltatrix
300mm
(only 2 fish over 500mm)
8
Giant Threadfin
Polydactylus macrochir
450mm 2
Threadfin
Other Polydactylus species
N/A 4
Trevally and Queenfish (All other species ot specifically mentioned except Needleskin Queenfish and Yellowtail Scad)
Carangidae family
Skipjack Trevally: 250mm 8
Tripletail
Lobotes surinamensis
300mm 2
Western Australian Salmon
Arripis truttaceus
300mm 4
King George Whiting
Sillaginodes punctata
280mm 12
Wrasse and Parrot Fish (all other species not specifically mentioned)
Labridae Family
N/A 8

 

FRESHWATER FINFISH

Total mixed species daily bag limit per angler is 4.

Species

Minimum Legal Size
Brown Trout 300mm
Rainbow Trout 300mm
Freshwater Cobbler N/A
Grunter - All freshwater species (except Sooty Grunter)
Plotosidae family
N/A
Sooty Grunter
Hephaestus fuliginosus
250mm

 

OTHER FINFISH SPECIES

Total mixed species daily bag limit per angler is 30

This is the combined number of finfish (not in the four other finfish categories or in the protected species table) you can take. No minimum size limits apply to these species. This category excludes baitfish and feral freshwater species.

While there is a total mixed species daily bag limit per fisher of 30, there is an individual species daily bag limit of 12 for Australian herring.

Species

Individual Species Limit
Australian Herring
Arripis georgianus
12
Whiting (excluding King George Whiting)
Sillaginidae family
30
Garfish
Hemirhamphidae family
30
Mullet
Mugilidae family
30

 

CRUSTACEANS (Crabs, Prawns, Crayfish, Marron, Lobsters etc.)

** Statewide possession limit of 24 Rock Lobster per person.

 

Species

Minimum Legal Size Daily Bag Limit Daily Boat Limit
Cherabin
Macrobrachium Species
N/A 9 litres N/A
Blue Swimmer Crab
Portunus pelagicus

Closed Season:
Cockburn Sound - Closed to crab fishing
Peel-Harvey Estuary 1 Sept - 31 October inclusive.

127mm
carapace width
20 40
West Coast: 10 West Coast: 20
Mud Crab (all species combined)
Scylla species
Green Mud Crab: 150mm

Brown Mud Crab: 120mm
Carapace width

8

Trophy waters: 5

N/A
Marron
Cherax species

Marron are only allowed to be caught during a short summer season.
Open season is from 12 noon, 8 January - 12 noon, 5 February, annually

80mm
carapace length

Trophy waters:
90mm

8

Trophy waters:
5

N/A
Prawns - School Prawn, King Prawn
Penaeidae family
N/A 9 litres N/A
Redclaw   |   Yabby
Cherax quadricarinatus
N/A N/A N/A
Rock Lobster:
Western Rock Lobster 76mm 8
(of which, no more tan 4 may be Tropical Rock Lobsters)
24
At least three licensed anglers must be on board actively fishing to take the boat limit)
Tropical Rock Lobster
Panulirus ornatus

Painted Rock Lobster (Green)
Panulirus versicolor

76mm
Southern Rock Lobster
Jasus edwardsii
98.5mm
Other Crustacean species not specifically mentioned above (combined) eg. Gilgie N/A 10 N/A

 

TOTALLY PROTECTED SPECIES

DO NOT TAKE

Grey Nurse Shark
Carcharius taurus
Speartooth Shark
Glyphis species
White Shark
Carcharodon carcharias
Whale Shark
Rhinodon typus
Humphead Maori Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus
Potato Cod
Epinephelus tukula
Queensland Grouper
Ephinephelus lanceolatus
Rays and Skates - Haelin Bay Protection Area Only
Super Order: Batoidea family
Black Stingray
Dasyatis thetidis

These are protected from Recreational Angling in the South Coast and West Coast Bioregions only.

Smooth Stingray
Dasyatis brevicaudata

These are protected from Recreational Angling in the South Coast and West Coast Bioregions only.

Sawfish - All Species
Pristidae species
Weedy Seadragon
Phyllopterxy taeniolatus
Leafy Seadragon
Phycodurus eques
Coral and Live Rock
Scleractina family

Native Freshwater Fish Species

Balston's Pygmy Perch - Nannatherina balstoni

Western Trout Minnow - Galaxias truttaceus

Mud Minnow - Galaxiella munda

Black Stripe Minnow - Galaxiella nigrostriata

Pouched Lamprey - Geotria australis

Salamander Fish - Lepidogalaxias salamandroides

Little Pygmy Perch - Nannoperca pygmaea

 

 

 

 


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