Commercial Pipi Fishery
The Victorian Pipi Fishery
Pipi is the common name given to the small bivalve, Donax deltoides, which is found on high-energy sandy beaches in the intertidal zone. Pipi have naturally large spatial and temporal variations in recruitment, settlement and distribution, influenced by environmental factors. Pipi are found from the Eyre Peninsula to Kingston in South Australia, through Tasmania and Victoria, to Fraser Island in south-eastern Queensland.
Pipi have been harvested commercially in Victoria for many years, prompting the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) to consider dedicated management arrangements for this species.
The VFA spent two years preparing a Victorian Pipi Fishery Management Plan in consultation with a stakeholder-based Victorian Pipi Fishery Management Plan Steering Committee, and in accordance with Part 3 of the Fisheries Act 1995. The steering committee comprised of representatives from Seafood Industry Victoria, VRFish and the Victorian Fisheries Authority. Input was also received from commercial licence holders, Traditional Owners, conservation representatives and other stakeholders.
The Victorian Pipi Fishery Management Plan was declared in September 2018 and sets out the management arrangements and objectives, strategies and actions for the fishery. It is intended to be a blueprint for future actions to benefit all users of the resource. This is reinforced by the key management objectives which are to provide for the:
- long-term sustainability of the pipi fishery
- equitable resource access and use, and
- cost-effective and participatory management.
Following on from the declaration of the Victorian Pipi Fishery Management Plan, the Victorian Pipi Fishery was transitioned to an ongoing quota management regime, enacted through the Fisheries Regulations 2019 .
Pipi Fishery Access Licences have been issued for the Discovery Bay and Venus Bay commercial management zones.
There are a range of regulations relating to this fishery, including a size limit of 35mm, gear restrictions, labelling requirements, access and weighing points for fishing in Discovery Bay, and prior- and post-fishing reporting requirements. All the details can be found in the Fisheries Regulations 2019.
For information on the Recreational Pipi Fishery, click here.