{"id":"F2026L00324","name":"Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Total Allowable Catch for Non-Quota Species – Common Hagfish) Determination 2026","slug":"f2026l00324","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":443224,"registerId":"F2026L00324-fast-fetch-1775958115968","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Total Allowable Catch for Non-Quota Species – Common Hagfish) Determination 2026","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n\n\n \n\nSouthern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Total Allowable Catch for Non-Quota Species – Common Hagfish) Determination 2026\n\nThe Australian Fisheries Management Authority makes the following determination.\n\nDated 11 March 2026 \n\n| Helen Kroger | Ian Dutton | Brett McCallum |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Chair | Commissioner | Commissioner |\n| Wez Norris | Sevaly Sen | Scott Spencer |\n| Commissioner | Commissioner | Commissioner
|\n| Sally Troy | | |\n| Commissioner | | |\n\n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Cessation\n\n4 Authority\n\n5 Definitions\n\n6 Determination of total allowable catch\n\n \n\n \n\n1 Name\n\n This instrument is the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Total Allowable Catch for Non-Quota Species – Common Hagfish) Determination 2026.\n\n2 Commencement\n\n This instrument commences on the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.\n\n3 Cessation\n\n This instrument ceases on 1 May 2027.\n\n4 Authority\n\n This instrument is made under subsections 15(1) and 15(3) of the Management Plan for the purpose of paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Act.\n\n5 Definitions\n\n1. In this instrument:\n\n\n Act means the Fisheries Management Act 1991.\n\n Fisheries Rules 2019 means the Tasmanian Fisheries Rules 2019 as those rules are amended from time to time. The rules could in 2026 be viewed free of charge on the Tasmanian Government’s Tasmanian Legislation Website (https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/html/asmade/sr-2019-067).\n\nManagement Plan means the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery Management Plan 2003.\n\n1. Any term used in this instrument that is defined for the purposes of the Management Plan has the same meaning in this instrument as it has in the Management Plan.\n\n\nNote: Terms defined in the Act have the same meanings in this Instrument.\n\n6 Determination of total allowable catch\n\n \n\n(1) This section applies to the total allowable catch for common hagfish, Eptatretus cirrhatus, a non-quota species, in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery for the 2026-27 fishing year commencing on 1 May 2026 and ending on 30 April 2027, within the area of waters described as:\n\n(a) waters relevant to the State of Queensland south of the parallel of Latitude 24 degrees 30 minutes South seaward of the 4000 metre isobath; and\n\n(b) waters relevant to the State of New South Wales north of the parallel of Latitude 33 degrees 35 minutes South seaward of the 4000 metre isobath; and\n\n(c) waters relevant to the State of New South Wales south of the parallel of Latitude 33 degrees 35 minutes South but excluding coastal waters; and\n\n(d) waters relevant to the States of Victoria and Tasmania but excluding coastal waters and the area of waters within the Kent Group National Park as defined in Schedule 1 of the Tasmanian Fisheries Rules 2019.\n\n(2) For a species of fish specified in an item in column 1 of the table, the total allowable catch, in tonnes, for that species is determined in column 2, for the area specified in column 3, on the basis of the preparation of the fish in accordance with column 4.\n\n| Item | Column 1
Species of fish | Column 2
Total allowable catch | Column 3
Area | Column 4
Preparation |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | Common hagfish | 40 tonnes | North of the parallel of Latitude
36 degrees 45 minutes South | Whole weight |\n| 2 | Common hagfish | 40 tonnes | South of the parallel of Latitude
36 degrees 45 minutes South | Whole weight |\n\n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument does not purport to expand regulatory scope beyond the Management Plan and Fisheries Act. It sets year‑specific TACs for a single non‑quota species within defined SESSF areas and contains temporal and spatial limits; no text indicates an extension of powers or a change from the Management Plan’s ordinary remit."},"complexity_factors":["Time-limited single-year instrument with explicit commencement and cessation dates (sections 2–3).","Instrument is narrowly focused: sets numeric TAC values only (section 6 table) — low substantive regulatory content.","Spatially detailed area definitions using latitudinal splits and an offshore isobath reference, plus specific park and coastal exclusions (section 6(1) and table columns).","Cross-references to external instruments for authority and definitions (Management Plan and Fisheries Management Act in section 4; Tasmanian Fisheries Rules in section 5) increase interpretive dependency on other texts.","Specification of preparation basis (whole weight) requires particular measurement/accounting practice for catch records (section 6 table, column 4).","Designates the species as a non‑quota species and therefore interacts with different management, monitoring and compliance regimes than quota species (title and section 6).","No operational detail on monitoring, allocation, or enforcement is included here—those mechanisms are left to the Management Plan and Act (section 4), adding implementation reliance on other instruments."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument fixes the total allowable catch (TAC) for common hagfish in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery for the 2026–27 fishing year. It sets two caps of 40 tonnes each, north and south of latitude 36°45′S, measured as whole weight, and applies to defined offshore areas with coastal and park exclusions.\n\nIt commences the day after registration and ceases on 1 May 2027. The cap directly limits commercial fishers’ allowable take of common hagfish."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument maintains its original narrow scope. It is a standard annual determination setting total allowable catch for a specific non-quota species in a specific fishery for a single fishing year, which is precisely what the enabling legislation (Fisheries Management Act 1991 and the Management Plan) authorises."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (only 6 sections, approximately 1 page)","Only 3 defined terms in section 5 (Act, Fisheries Rules 2019, Management Plan)","Single operational provision (section 6) with straightforward tabular format","Simple conditional logic: applies only to specific species, specific fishing year, and specific geographic coordinates","No nested exceptions or complex cross-referencing beyond basic incorporation of definitions from parent legislation","Geographic boundaries described using standard latitude/longitude coordinates and references to existing legislative instruments"],"plain_english_summary":"This AFMA determination sets the total allowable catch for common hagfish (Eptatretus cirrhatus) in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery for 2026–27: 40 tonnes north and 40 tonnes south of Latitude 36°45′S (80 t total). It applies to specified offshore waters off QLD, NSW, VIC and TAS and caps commercial hagfish take to help prevent overfishing. Effective from registration until 1 May 2027."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2026l00324","history":"/api/acts/f2026l00324/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2026l00324/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2026l00324/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2026l00324/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2026l00324/documents"}}