NEW SBT possession limit

With Victoria’s Southern Blue fin tuna season upon us, a timely reminder of the recent reclassification of SBT as a priority species meaning it falls under a new possession limit.

Possession limit: The maximum number of a particular type of fish that a person can/may possess at any time while in, on or next to Victorian waters. With other species you are allowed to separate and mark each days catch but not for a priority species as SBT now is.

The Possession limit for SBT is 2 fish in carcass form (whole) or 160kg in any other form (fillets, steaks), so if you go fishing for the weekend and you bag out on both days you must not be in possession of more than 2 whole fish or more than 160 kg of SBT fillets. If you do you haven’t just breached the recreational bag limit, but you are considered to be in possession of a commercial quantity of SBT.

The commercial quantity limit for southern Bluefin tuna is 3 fish or more in carcass form or in excess of 160 kg in any other form. A person in possession of any more than 2 southern Bluefin tuna can be charged with possession of a commercial quantity of a priority species (Section 111C(1) Fisheries Act) which attracts serious penalties.

Please share this with your fishing friends and have a great and safe SBT season, remember if you want to help protect not only our fishery but our right to fish this magnificent species please join a GFAV affiliated game fishing club and get out there and tag some SBT, the more tags we place the more information we will have when it comes time to justify our right to fish this species.