Important Dates
We have some very important dates for closed seasons coming up. Please add these dates to your diary or keep them firmly in the back of your mind! For convenience a counter has been added to the site that indicates when Barramundi season closes.
Barramundi
Throughout the Queensland east coast, a closed season applies to barramundi from midday 1 November to midday 1 February.
Throughout the Gulf of Carpentaria and adjoining waterways west and south of the intersection of longitude 142°09'E with the shore at high tide, a closed season applies to barramundi. The timing of the closed season varies each year according to lunar and tide cycles coinciding with spawning peaks.
The Gulf of Carpentaria closed seasons for barramundi for 2011-2013 are:
- midday 4 October 2011 to midday 30 January 2012
- midday 7 October 2012 to midday 3 February 2013
It is also prohibited to deliberately target barramundi for catch and release during these closed seasons, as the stress of capture may prevent a fish from spawning.
Coral reef fin fish
Coral reef fin fish closure dates for 2011-2013:
- 24 October to 28 October 2011, and 22 November to 26 November 2011
- 12 October to 16 October 2012, and 11 November to 15 November 2012
- 2 October to 6 October 2013, and 31 October to 4 November 2013
Tidal waters within the following boundary are closed waters for coral reef fin fish:
from the northern tip of Cape York along latitude 10°41´ south
to longitude 145° east
to latitude 13° south, longitude 145° east
to latitude 15° south, longitude 146° east
to latitude 17°30' south, longitude 147° east
to latitude 21° south, longitude 152°55' east
to latitude 24°30' south, longitude 154° east
to latitude 24°50' south, longitude 154° east along latitude 24°50' south to the mainland shore along the shore to the northern tip of Cape York at latitude 10°41' south.
A basic online guide has been developed to help identify fish listed as Coral Reef Fin Fish. This reef fish web guide groups fish into families. For full details of the legislation visit the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel website.