Total
Allowable
Catch

Our Position:

The Wild Caught Fishers Coalition (WCFC) initially opposed the use of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) to manage fisheries due to concerns around weak science, poor consultation, and the risk of unfair impacts on commercial fishers.

Now that TAC is in place, our position is clear:

We monitor TAC decisions closely to ensure fairness and transparency.
We oppose any reduction in TAC not backed by strong, fishery-specific science.
We advocate for fair access that doesn’t punish commercial fishers who feed Australians.
We support regular reviews of how TAC is set and applied.

Commercial fishers must not carry the burden of poor policy or political pressure. WCFC stands to protect their access and future.

Total Allowable Catch (TAC)

A Total Allowable Catch or ‘TAC’ is the maximum amount of a particular fish species that can be taken by commercial fishers during a fishing period.

A TAC is determined for each catch quota managed species in NSW for each new fishing period and a share of the TAC is allocated (as quota) to owners of species quota shares in proportion to the number of shares they hold.

The species that currently have TACs in NSW fisheries are:

Ocean Trawl Fishery

Bluespotted flathead
Tiger flathead
Eastern school whiting/Stout whiting (combined)
Silver trevally
Gemfish

Estuary General

Beachworms
Cockles
Ghost nipper
Pipi
Mud crab
Blue swimmer crab
Longfin river eel and Shortfin river eel (combined)

Ocean Trap & Line

Gemfish
Bass grouper
Blue eye trevalla
Hap
Bigeye ocean perch
Spanner crab
Hapuku
Pink ling

Abalone

Blacklip abalone

Ocean Hauling

Australian sardine
Blue mackerel
Yellowtail scad
Eastern sea garfish

Lobster

Eastern rock lobster

Sea Urchin and Turban Shell

Red sea urchin

Total Allowable Fishing Effort (TAE)

Similar to a TAC, a TAE is the maximum amount of fishing effort (e.g. days) that can be used by commercial fishers during a fishing period.

A TAE is determined for each fishing effort quota managed fishery in NSW for each new fishing period and a share of the TAE is allocated (as days) to owners of relevant shares in proportion to the number of shares they hold.

The fisheries that currently have TAEs in NSW fisheries are:

Ocean Trawl Fishery

Ocean trawl – inshore prawn
Ocean trawl – offshore prawn

Estuary General

Meshing
Category One Hauling
Category Two Hauling

Who makes TAC and TAE determinations?

For Lobster, Abalone and Red sea urchin, the independent Total Allowable Fishing (TAF) Committee makes a TAC determination for each new fishing period.

For other quota managed species, the Minister directs either the TAF Committee or the Secretary of the Department of Regional NSW to make a TAC or TAE determination.

The TAF Committee consists of four members and two deputy members.

Independent Chairperson (Mr William Zacharin)
Natural Resource Economist (Dr Daryl McPhee)
Deputy Natural Resource Economist (Ms Sevaly Sen)
Fisheries Scientist (Dr Lorne “Richard” Little)
Deputy Fisheries Scientist (Mr Andrew Penney)
Fisheries Manager (Ms Alice McDonald)
Deputy Fisheries Manager (Dr Daryl McPhee)

The determinations are out for 2025/2026 season.