Intertidal zone fishing restrictions
The intertidal zone is defined as the area starting at the maximum high-water mark to a point where the water is 2m deep at any time (see diagrams below).
All animals and plants that live in the intertidal zone are critical parts of the food chain.
Removal of invertebrates (animals without backbones such as crabs, snails, shellfish and sea urchins) from this zone may seem harmless, but it represents a loss of food for other species.
For this reason Victoria’s intertidal zones are protected areas.
Intertidal protected areas
Victorian Waters (excluding Port Phillip Bay)
From the intertidal zone in other Victorian waters you may only collect bivalve shellfish (animals with 2 hinged shells such as pipis, scallops, mussels, oysters and squirters), squid, octopus and cuttlefish.
Other invertebrates such as crabs, lobster, marine worms and burrowing shrimp can also be collected.
All other molluscs (marine snails such as abalone, limpets, periwinkles and turbo shells) are protected and must not be collected.
Catch limits apply.
Port Phillip Bay
From the intertidal zone in Port Phillip Bay you may only collect marine worms, sandworms, burrowing shrimp, squid, octopus and cuttlefish.
Only certain equipment is permitted to be used in the intertidal zone to collect these animals (see intertidal collection methods below). Catch limits apply to these species.
All other invertebrates (animals without backbones) are protected in the intertidal zone and must not be collected.
Intertidal restrictions for different Victorian waters
| Port Phillip Bay intertidal zone | |
|---|---|
| You can collect | You can't collect |
| Marine worms | Abalone |
| Burrowing shrimp | Crabs |
| Squid | Pipis |
| Octopus | Mussels |
| Cuttlefish | Scallops |
| Urchins | |
| Shells | |
| Snails | |
| Intertidal zone other than Port Phillip Bay | |
|---|---|
| You can collect | You can't collect |
| Bivalve shellfish such as pipis, scallops, mussels and oysters | Abalone |
| Crabs | Limpets |
| Rock lobster | Periwinkles |
| Marine worms | Turbo shells |
| Burrowing shrimp | |
| Urchins | |
| Octopus | |
| Squid | |
| Cuttlefish | |
Intertidal zone equipment restrictions
Only certain equipment is permitted to be used in the intertidal zones across Victoria to collect these permitted animals. Catch limits apply to these species.
Intertidal protected area equipment restrictions
The use of any type of hand-held digging implement to collect marine invertebrates is prohibited in intertidal protected areas. For example, hand-held digging implements cannot be used to collect pipis, worms, cockles and bass yabbies in the intertidal zones.
Where collection in the intertidal zone is permitted, only the following methods are allowed:
- hands and feet
- hand-held bait pumps that fit the dimensions listed here
- bait traps that fit the dimensions listed here
- a fishing line, speargun or hand-held spear to catch fish, squid, cuttlefish and octopus (click here to find out where spear guns and hand-held spears can and can’t be used)
- hoop nets and bait nets that fit the dimensions listed here