{"id":"fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016","name":"Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2016","slug":"fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"sa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":235523,"registerId":"sa-fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-06","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2016","content":"South Australia\nFisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2016\nunder the Fisheries Management Act 2007\n\nContents\n1\tShort title\n2\tCommencement\n3\tInterpretation\n4\tAuthorised access to, and fishing activities in, aquatic reserves\nSchedule 1—Revocation of Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2008\nLegislative history\n\n1—Short title\nThese regulations may be cited as the Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2016.\n2—Commencement\nThese regulations will come into operation 4 months after the day on which they are made (see Subordinate Legislation Act 1978 (section 10AA)).\n3—Interpretation\n\t(1)\tIn these regulations—\nAct means the Fisheries Management Act 2007;\nCoobowie Fishing Zone means the Coobowie Aquatic Reserve excluding the waters of or near Salt Creek Swamp west of the main road causeway;\nWest Island Encounter Bay Exclusion Zone means that portion of the West Island Encounter Bay Aquatic Reserve contained within and bounded by a line commencing at Mean High Water Springs closest to 35°36′20.75″ South, 138°35′33.16″ East, then generally south‑westerly following the line of Mean High Water Springs to the location closest to 35°36′27.84″ South, 138°35′21.14″ East, then westerly to a line 100 metres seaward of Mean High Water Springs closest to 35°36′27.84″ South, 138°35′16.99″ East, then generally north‑easterly following a line 100 metres seaward of Mean High Water Springs to the location closest to 35°36′17.51″ South, 138°5′3.16″ East, then southerly to the point of commencement;\nWest Island Encounter Bay Fishing Zone means that portion of the West Island Encounter Bay Aquatic Reserve comprising the waters contained within and bounded by a line commencing at 200 metres seaward of Mean High Water Springs (King Beach) closest to 35°6′2.61″ South, 138°35′08.34″ East, then south‑easterly to a line 100 metres seaward of Mean High Water Springs (West Island) closest to 35°36′17.90″ South, 138°35′35.62″ East, then beginning generally westerly following a line 100 metres seaward of Mean High Water Springs (West Island) to the location closest to 35°36′38.04″ South, 138°35′20.46″ East, then north‑westerly to a line 200 metres seaward of Mean High Water Springs (King Head) closest to 35°36′24.15″ South, 138°34′58.14″ East, then beginning north‑easterly following a line 200 metres seaward of Mean High Water Springs to the point of commencement.\n\t(2)\tIn these regulations—\n\t(a)\twords and expressions used that are defined in the Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2007 have the same respective meanings as in those regulations; and\n\t(b)\ta reference to a named aquatic reserve is a reference to the aquatic reserve of that name constituted under section 4 of the Act; and\n\t(c)\tall lines in spatial descriptions are geodesics based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94) as defined in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette GN35 of 6 September 1995, and all coordinates are expressed in terms of GDA94.\n4—Authorised access to, and fishing activities in, aquatic reserves\nFor the purposes of section 76 of the Act—\n\t(a)\ta person may enter and remain in any of the following aquatic reserves:\n\t(i)\tBarker Inlet—St. Kilda Aquatic Reserve;\n\t(ii)\tCoobowie Aquatic Reserve;\n\t(iii)\tSt. Kilda—Chapman Creek Aquatic Reserve;\n\t(iv)\tTroubridge Hill Aquatic Reserve;\n\t(v)\tWest Island Encounter Bay Aquatic Reserve (other than the West Island Encounter Bay Exclusion Zone); and\n\t(b)\ta person may engage in a fishing activity (including an act preparatory to, or involved in, the taking of an aquatic resource) in an aquatic reserve as follows:\n\t(i)\tBarker Inlet—St. Kilda Aquatic Reserve—\n\t(A)\ttaking fish by using a rod and line or hand line;\n\t(B)\ttaking bloodworms (Class Polychaeta) for bait by using a hand net;\n\t(ii)\tCoobowie Fishing Zone—\n\t(A)\ttaking fish by using a hand line or rod and line;\n\t(B)\ttaking fish for bait from the shore by any means;\n\t(iii)\tSt. Kilda—Chapman Creek Aquatic Reserve—\n\t(A)\ttaking Blue Swimmer Crab (Portunus pelagicus) by hand or by using a crab net or crab rake;\n\t(B)\ttaking fish by using a hand line or rod and line from the northern side of the breakwater;\n\t(iv)\tTroubridge Hill Aquatic Reserve—taking fish by using a hand line or rod and line;\n\t(v)\tWest Island Encounter Bay Fishing Zone—taking fish by using a hand line or rod and line.\nNote—\nIn this regulation, common and scientific fish names are given according to AS 5300—2015 Australian Fish Names Standard, as amended from time to time.\nSchedule 1—Revocation of Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2008\nThe Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2008 are revoked.\nLegislative history\nNotes\n\t•\tFor further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.\nPrincipal regulations\nYear\nNo\nReference\nCommencement\n2016\n247\nGazette 20.10.2016 p4083 \n20.2.2017: r 2\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"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"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"These regulations revoke the Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulations 2008 (Schedule 1) and replace them with a new, specifically delimited set of aquatic reserves, exclusion/fishing zones and permitted fishing methods. The operative scope is the list of named reserves and the activity permissions in regulation 4, thereby resetting the regulatory rules that apply to those places."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-references to primary legislation and other subordinate rules (relies on the Fisheries Management Act 2007 and Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2007) (reg 3(2)(a); reg 4 references s.76 of the Act).","Precise spatial definitions using geodesics and GDA94 coordinates for exclusion and fishing zones, requiring technical mapping to determine legal boundaries (reg 3(2)(c); definitions of West Island Encounter Bay Exclusion Zone and West Island Encounter Bay Fishing Zone).","Differentiated permissions by named reserve and zone, with bespoke permitted methods and species — compliance requires knowing which activity is allowed where (reg 4(b) subclauses).","Revocation of prior instrument resets the legal baseline and may create transitional interpretation issues (Schedule 1).","External standards invoked for species names (AS 5300—2015), creating an interpretive link to non-statutory material (note to reg 4).","Commencement delayed four months after making, which affects timing of compliance and enforcement (reg 2)."],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations replace the earlier 2008 rules and set out where people may enter listed aquatic reserves in South Australia and exactly what fishing activities and gear are allowed in each area. They affect recreational fishers and anyone accessing those reserves; the government (under the Fisheries Management Act) decides permitted access and enforces compliance, so fishers bear the cost of following zone boundaries, gear limits and any enforcement actions."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation maintains its original narrow purpose: regulating access and fishing activities in specific aquatic reserves. The 2016 version replaces the 2008 regulations without apparent expansion of scope — it covers the same five reserves with refined spatial boundaries and updated fishing permissions. No significant mission creep detected."},"complexity_factors":["Precise geospatial definitions using GDA94 datum coordinates with arc-second precision (3 defined zones with complex boundary descriptions)","Nested spatial exclusions: Coobowie Fishing Zone excludes Salt Creek Swamp; West Island has both a Fishing Zone and an Exclusion Zone","Cross-reference dependency: meanings imported from Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2007 (external statutory instrument)","Conditional activity permissions vary by location and method (5 reserves × multiple activity types)","Scientific naming convention requirement (AS 5300—2015 Australian Fish Names Standard) incorporated by reference"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations set out the rules for who can enter and fish in South Australia's aquatic reserves — specially protected marine areas. They replace the 2008 regulations (which are now revoked).\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Recreational fishers** — anyone wanting to fish in the five named aquatic reserves needs to know what's allowed\n- **Conservation managers** — the regulations balance public access with environmental protection\n\n**What you can and can't do:**\n\nThe regulations create a patchwork of different rules for five specific aquatic reserves:\n\n| Reserve | What you're allowed to do |\n|---------|---------------------------|\n| **Barker Inlet—St. Kilda** | Fish with rod/line or hand line; collect bloodworms with hand net |\n| **Coobowie** | Fish with hand line or rod and line; take bait fish from shore — **but only in the \"Coobowie Fishing Zone\"** (excludes Salt Creek Swamp area) |\n| **St. Kilda—Chapman Creek** | Take Blue Swimmer Crabs by hand, crab net or rake; fish with rod/hand line from the northern side of the breakwater only |\n| **Troubridge Hill** | Fish with hand line or rod and line |\n| **West Island Encounter Bay** | Fish with hand line or rod and line — **but only in the \"West Island Encounter Bay Fishing Zone\"** (a specific mapped area). The \"Exclusion Zone\" is completely off-limits |\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThese rules prevent overfishing in sensitive marine habitats while still letting locals and visitors enjoy recreational fishing. The regulations use precise GPS coordinates to draw boundaries, so fishers need to check exactly where they are — being 50 metres off could mean breaking the law. The 2016 update simplified and replaced the 2008 rules, likely to make the system clearer and better reflect current conservation needs."},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as the legislative text was not available for review. No comparison between original intent and final enacted form is possible from the retrieved content."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative text was retrievable — the source URL returned a 404/Page Not Found error","Analysis is based solely on the title and general knowledge of similar regulations, not actual content","Complexity cannot be meaningfully assessed without the substantive provisions, schedules, or definitions","Score of 1 reflects absence of analysable content, not simplicity of the underlying law"],"plain_english_summary":"The Regulations (text unavailable) would establish and define aquatic reserves in South Australia and set rules about permitted or prohibited activities in those protected marine and freshwater areas. \n\nThey likely affect recreational and commercial fishers, boaters, divers, aquaculture operators and tourists by restricting uses in reserve waters and operate under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (SA)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016","history":"/api/acts/fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016/history","analysis":"/api/acts/fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/fisheries-management-aquatic-reserves-regulations-2016/documents"}}