Document Actions
Whitebait Fishing
A limited licensed recreational fishery for whitebait has operated in Tasmania since 1990. Participation in the fishery over the past four years has slowly increased with the past 2005 season having the highest number of licence holders since 1990.
A limited licensed recreational fishery for whitebait has operated in Tasmania since 1990. Participation in the fishery over the past four years has slowly increased with the 2005 season having the highest number of licence holders since 1990.
Whitebait Fishery Management Plan
A Whitebait Fishery Management Plan has been released (September 2006). The main objective of the plan is to maintain a recreational whitebait fishery while ensuring conservation measures.
Licences
A person wishing to take and/or possess whitebait must hold a whitebait licence. The fee in 2006 was $24.00 with no concessions are available. The fee for 2007 will be anounced mid 2007. The whitebait licence does not permit the sale of whitebait.
Licences are available from the agents listed below, but are not available online via the IFS website.
Inland Fisheries Service | New Norfolk |
Gunns Ltd | Statewide |
Charlton’s Sports Store | Launceston |
Devonport Boat 'n' Tackle | Devonport |
Corbs’ Servo | Turners Beach |
Forth Village Store | Forth |
Mountain Designs | Devonport |
Smithton Sports | Smithton |
Somerset Newsagency | Somerset |
Tassie Tackle & Outdoor | Burnie |
Ulitmate Fishing & Outdoors | Ulverstone |
Wm L Wells & Sons | Latrobe |
Wynyard Sports & Toy Kingdom | Wynyard |
Trophies Sport n More | Huonville |
Wigstons's Sports | New Norfolk |
J J 's General Store | Zeehan |
Season and Fishing Times
The current season has closed. Notification of the 2007 season will occur mid 2007.
Whitebait can only be taken between the hours from sunrise to sunset.
Waters Open to Whitebait Fishing
Some rivers open to whitebait fishing are now on an open/close seasonal rotation. Whitebait fishers will need to ensure that the river they are proposing to fish is open for that season.
The following waters are open for the 2006 whitebait season:
| Derwent River | Tamar River including Trevallyn Tailrace |
| Huon River | Great Forester River |
| Franklin Rivulet | Mersey River (upstream of the B19 highway) |
| Inglis River | Forth River (except within 100 m below the weir) |
| Montagu River | Duck River (except within 50 m below the weir) |
| Pieman River | Big Henty River |
Method of Fishing
The whitebait net must carry a tag showing the number of the licence held by the user.
The licensee must be within 8 m of their net when fishing. The net can be held by hand or tied off to suitable vegetation or staked using a metal or plastic peg only. Natural vegetation can not be used as a stake.
A licence authorises the licence holder to use one ‘whitebait net. The net must carry a tag showing the licence number.
A ‘whitebait net’ must not:
have any part (including the opening) exceeding 120 centimetres in circumference;
be fitted with wings, leaders, screens or structures of any kind capable of diverting fish into the net, nor be constructed in such a way as to act in this manner; and
be fitted with a funnel, screen, valve, or any other device so as to impede fish escaping from the net.
Such a net may not be used from a boat except in the Pieman, Derwent, Henty and Huon rivers.
Licence
A whitebait licence is required to take whitebait. An angling licence does not entitle anyone to take whitebait. A whitebait licence does not give the right to take or retain any other fish. A person may not hold more than one licence at a time and a licence can not be transferred. A whitebait licence does not permit the sale of whitebait.
It is an offence for a person to have a whitebait net at or near an inland water, unless the person has a whitebait license and the particular water is open to whitebait fishing at the time.
Catch and Possession Limits
A maximum daily catch by a licensee is 1 kg. Maximum catch per licence for the season is 10 kg. Maximum quantity that can be held by a licensee at any one time is 10 kg.
CautionA Whitebait licence does not give the Licence holder the right to take or retain any other fish species. It is an offence for a person to have a whitebait net at or on an inland water, unless the person has a licence to take whitebait and the particular water is open to whitebait fishing at the time. A whitebait licence does not infer the right to enter private property without permission of the landowner.
