Recreational Fishery
Small amounts of Octopus are also targeted by recreational fishing. As of 1 November 2015, recreational fishers have been subject to a bag limit of 5 octopus and a possession limit of 10 octopus (all species combined). Data on the recreational catch of octopus in Tasmania is sparse. Surveys of the recreational fishery conducted in 2000/01, 2007/08, 2012/13, and 2017/18 provide the only comprehensive snapshots of the Tasmanian recreational fishery (Lyle, 2005; Lyle et al., 2009; Lyle et al., 2014; Lyle et al., 2019). The recreational fishery surveys did not differentiate between cephalopod species with the exception of Southern Calamari and Gould’s Squid. It is, however, understood that the majority of the catch reported as “cephalopods, other” are octopus, the remaining portion being cuttlefish. These surveys suggest that Octopus species are not a key target for the recreational fishery and appear as a bycatch caught predominantly by line fishing, gillnets and, to a lesser extent, rock lobster pots, with the majority being released.
Estimated total recreational harvest numbers, number kept and % released for cephalopod taken by Tasmanian residents (Lyle et al., 2005, 2009, 2014, 2019). Note: the survey periods do not correspond with fishing years; 2000/01 represented the period May 2000 to Apr 2001, and 2007/08 represented the period Dec 2007 to Nov 2008.
| Number Fished | Number Kept | % Released | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000/01 | 6,264 | <1,000 | 85.3 |
| 2007/08 | 5,605 | 1,149 | 79.5 |
| 2012/13 | 3,773 | 1,443 | 61.8 |
| 2017/18 | <1,000 | <1,000 | 67.2 |
