Fisheries(Murrayspinyfreshwatercrayfish)Notice No. 6/2016

FisheriesAct1995

FISHERIESNOTICENO.6/2016

I,TravisDowling,ExecutiveDirectorFisheriesVictoria,asdelegateoftheMinisterforAgricultureandFoodSecurityandhavingconsideredtheoutcomeofconsultationinaccordancewithsection3AoftheFisheriesAct1995(theAct),makethefollowingFisheriesNoticeundersection152oftheAct:

Dated28April2016

TRAVISDOWLING

ExecutiveDirectorFisheriesVictoria

FISHERIES(MURRAYSPINYFRESHWATERCRAYFISH)NOTICE NO. 6/2016

1.Title

ThisNoticemaybecitedastheFisheries(MurraySpinyFreshwaterCrayfish)Notice No.6/2016.

2.Objectives

TheobjectivesofthisNoticearetoextendtheclosedseasoninspecifiedwaters,increasethe minimumlegalsize,setamaximumlegalsize,reducethecatchlimitandimposeastate-widepossessionlimitforrecreationalMurrayspinycrayfishfishinginVictorian inlandwaters.

3.Authorisingprovision

ThisNoticeismadeundersection152oftheAct.

4.Commencement

ThisNoticecomesintooperationonthedayitispublishedintheVictoriaGovernmentGazette.

5.Definitions

InthisNotice–

‘Murrayspinyfreshwatercrayfish’meansEuastacusarmatus;

‘nextto’inrelationtowatersincludes–

(a)within100metersofthosewaters;or

(b)onanypubliclandadjacenttothewaters;or

(c)onanyroadorpubliccarparknearthewaters.

‘publicland’hasthesame meaningasintheConservation,ForestsandLandsAct1987;‘Specifiedwaters’meansallVictorianwatersnorthoftheGreatDividingRange;

‘theAct’meanstheFisheriesAct1995.

6.ClosedseasonandprohibitionforMurrayspinyfreshwatercrayfish

(1)Forthepurposesofsection67oftheAct,theclosedseasonforthetakingofMurrayspinyfreshwatercrayfishinspecifiedwatersis1Septemberto31May(inclusive)in thenextyearfollowing.

(2)Forthepurposesofsection67oftheAct,

(a)thetakingofMurrayspinyfreshwatercrayfishfromspecified waters;or

(b)thepossessionofMurrayspinyfreshwatercrayfishin,onornexttospecifiedwaters;or

(c)theuseofanyfishingequipmentin,onornexttospecifiedwaterstotakeor attempttotakeMurrayspinyfreshwatercrayfish–

duringtheclosedseasonspecifiedinsub-clause(1)isprohibited.

Note:Afailuretocomplywiththisprohibitionisanoffenceundersection67(3)oftheAct.Amaximumpenaltyof100penaltyunitsor6monthsimprisonmentorbothapplies.

7.Sizelimits

ForthepurposesoftheAct –

(a)theminimumsizefor Murray spinyfreshwatercrayfishis10centimetres;and

(b)themaximumsizeforMurray spinyfreshwatercrayfishis 12centimetres.

Note:

(1)Thereareoffencesinsections68Aand68BoftheActrelatingtotakingorpossessingfishofaspeciesthatarelessthantheminimumsizeormorethanthemaximumsizespecifiedforthatspeciesoffishina FisheriesNotice.Variouspenaltiesapply.

(2)Regulation122(1)(e)oftheFisheriesRegulations2009prescribesthemethodformeasuringspinyfreshwatercrayfish.

8.Catch andpossession limits

ForthepurposesoftheAct,thecatchlimitwithrespectto–

(a)thetakingofMurrayspinyfreshwatercrayfishis2crayfish(ofwhich0crayfishmay belessthan10centimetresinlengthormorethan12centimetresinlength);or

(b)thepossessionofMurrayspinyfreshwatercrayfishanywhereinVictoriais4crayfish(ofwhich0crayfish may be less than 10 centimetres in length or more than 12centimetresinlength).

Note:Thereare offencesin sections68Aand68B oftheAct relatingto takingor possessingmore fishof aspeciesthanthecatchlimitspecifiedinaFisheriesNotice.Variouspenaltiesapply.

9.Revocation

Unlesssoonerrevoked,thisNoticewillbeautomaticallyrevoked12monthsafterthedayonwhichitcomesintooperation.

Note:Section152(3)oftheActprovidesthatifaFisheriesNoticeisinconsistentwithanyregulations,managementplan,Ministerial direction, licenceor permit, the FisheriesNotice prevails totheextentofthe inconsistency.