A number of fishing restrictions exist in the Sydney South area including Botany Bay, Port Hacking and beaches, rivers and streams from Bondi to Garie Beach. Fishing restrictions exist for a variety of reasons, from public health and safety to preserving our unique aquatic environments.

Possession of any fishing gear in, on or adjacent to waters closed to fishing is prohibited. Possession of prohibited fishing gear or excess prescribed recreational fishing gear is prohibited. Heavy penalties apply for not complying with fisheries rules and regulations.

Cabbage Tree Point Intertidal Protected area.

Cabbage Tree Point Intertidal Protected area.

Closed to all nets and traps except the landing net, dip or scoop net and the bait trap.

Shiprock Aquatic Reserve. No fishing all methods. No destroying marine life, or collecting dead or alive marine organisms. Including empty shells.

Closed to taking worms, nippers and shellfish. Bivalves- for example, pipis and cockles and gastropods - for example, whelks of any species.

Closed to taking of shellfish. Bivalves- for example, pipis and cockles and gastropods - for example, whelks of any species.

 

Fishing prohibited waters Port Hacking

The waters listed immediately below this heading are closed to all fishing methods including spearfishing, fishing with a rod and line, handline, traps, nets or any collecting methods.

• Shiprock Aquatic Reserve (see map below - red line), also no disturbing, destroying or collecting marine animals or plants, whether dead or alive.

Nets and traps prohibited waters Port Hacking

• Port Hacking and its tributaries (see map below - red forward slashing line), upstream of a line drawn southerly from the southernmost extremity of Hungry Point to the northernmost extremity of Cabbage Tree or Pulpit Point is closed to all recreational fishing nets and traps, except the dip/scoop net, landing net and bait trap.

Invertebrate and bait collecting restrictions, Port Hacking

• Gunnamatta Bay  - (see map below - fawn marked area) all waters of that part of Port Hacking being Gunnamatta Bay, together with all the creeks, tributaries and inlets of that part north of a line extending north-easterly from the southernmost extremity of Burrameer Point to the southernmost extremity of Hungry Pointare is closed to the taking of all species of worms, nippers and shellfish including pipis, mussels, oysters, cockles, whelks and turban snails.
• Simpson’s Bay Beach to Costens Point (see map below - yellow marked area) Includes Port Hacking waters from the east end of Simpson’s Bay Beach generally west to the westernmost end of Costens Point, including the foreshore from the mean high water mark, to 200m horizontally seaward of the mean low water mark is closed to the taking of all shellfish including pipis, mussels, oysters, cockles, whelks and turban snails.

Intertidal Protected Areas IPAs Port Hacking

Intertidal protected areas preserve and protect intertidal animals and habitat as well as acting as reservoirs to repopulate other areas.

The collection of all invertebrates and cunjevoi is prohibited from all Intertidal protected areas from the mean high water mark to 10 meters seaward from the mean low watermark.

Fishing is allowed in these areas but taking, gathering or collecting seashore animals including crabs, snails, worms, octopus, sea urchins, anemones, pipis, cockles, mussels, oysters, saltwater nippers and cunjevoi is prohibited. Exempt invertebrates that may be taken are Abalone and the Eastern and Southern rock lobster. Abalone can only be taken on weekends and adjacent NSW public holidays.

The Cronulla Intertidal Protected Areas is located at Cabbage Tree Point, Bundenna (see map below - blue line marked area).