Tasmania Sea Fishing Licences: Rod-and-Line, Lobster and Nets

Licensed sea activities

Tasmania sea fishing is not one licence decision. Ordinary marine rod-and-line fishing usually does not need a recreational sea licence. Rock lobster, abalone, scallop, nets and set lines are different activities and can need their own sea licence category.

The current recreational sea licence year is listed as 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026. Unlike Tasmania inland angling, sea licences are not offered as 48-hour, 7-day or 28-day visitor products.

Activity table

Tasmania sea activity	Licence answer	Check before fishing
Ordinary marine rod-and-line fishing	Usually no sea licence.	Size limits, bag limits, possession limits, seasons and area restrictions.
Rock Lobster Pot	Recreational sea licence category.	Season, area, gear, marking and possession rules.
Rock Lobster Ring	Recreational sea licence category.	Gear and area rules can differ from pot or dive.
Rock Lobster Dive	Recreational sea licence category.	Season, area, dive safety and possession checks.
Abalone	Recreational sea licence category.	Open areas, safety, measuring and possession rules.
Scallop	Recreational sea licence category.	Current open season, area and possession rules.
Graball Net, Mullet Net or Beach Seine Net	Recreational sea licence category.	Net type, marking, water and method restrictions.
Set Line	Recreational sea licence category.	Service Tasmania includes drop line and long line wording, so check the exact gear.

Do not use the inland licence for sea activities

Tasmania inland angling and recreational sea fishing are separate official systems. An IFS inland angling licence does not answer lobster, abalone, scallop, net or set-line questions.

If the confusing part is whether a water is inland or marine, use Tasmania freshwater vs saltwater licences, the IFS Seaward Limit and Fishing Tasmania area restrictions before buying. Do not guess from a map at an estuary, river mouth or bream area.

Fee and concession snapshot

2025-26 sea licence item	Published amount
First standard recreational sea licence type	AUD 66.85
First concession recreational sea licence type	AUD 38.20
Each additional recreational sea licence type	AUD 9.55

Health Care Card holders are not eligible for the listed recreational sea licence concession row. If you are relying on a discount, match the exact concession wording before payment.

Family and visitor caution

Sea licence categories are activity-specific. A child, visitor or casual fisher may still need the right category if they take part in a licensed sea activity. Ordinary rod-and-line marine fishing is the common no-sea-licence case, but it does not cover lobster pots, abalone dives, scallop trips, nets or set lines.

For inland trout or lake trips, use Tasmania inland angling. For short trips, remember that inland angling has short-duration products, while recreational sea licence categories do not.

References

Official source	What to use it for
Fishing Tasmania recreational sea licences	Sea licence categories, fees, no short-term sea products and licence year.
Service Tasmania sea licence service	Apply, renew or vary route and set-line wording.
Fishing Tasmania area restrictions	Local area checks after licence choice.
Fishing Tasmania seaward limits and inland waters	Boundary checks between inland and marine systems.
Fishing Tasmania gear rules and fishing by species	Gear and species checks for licensed sea activities.

In short

For Tasmania sea fishing, separate ordinary rod-and-line fishing from licensed sea activities. If the trip includes lobster, abalone, scallop, nets or set lines, choose the exact official sea licence category and then check species, gear, season and area rules.