4Meaning of fish

### 4 Meaning of fish > > (1)  Fish is any aquatic organism of any species, whether dead or alive, which, in the normal course of events, spends part or all of its life in the aquatic environment. > > > (2)  Fish includes – > > > > > > (a) bony fishes of the class *Osteichthyes*; and > > > > > > > (b) sharks, rays, lampreys and other cartilaginous fishes of the classes *Chondrichthyes* and *Agnatha*; and > > > > > > > (c) aquatic reptiles; and > > > > > > > (d) sea squirts and other aquatic chordates; and > > > > > > > (e) [*\[Section 4 Subsection (2) amended by No. 45 of 1997, s. 5, Applied:13 Nov 1997\]*](/view/html/inforce/1997-11-13/act-1997-045#GS5@Hpa@EN) sea-stars, sea-urchins, sea-cucumbers and other echinoderms; and > > > > > > > (f) lobsters, crabs, prawns and other aquatic arthropods; and > > > > > > > (g) bristle worms, fan worms, arrowworms and other aquatic annelids, chaetognaths, nematodes, nemerteans and platyhelminths; and > > > > > > > (h) squid, oysters, abalone and other aquatic molluscs and brachiopods; and > > > > > > > (i) [*\[Section 4 Subsection (2) amended by No. 45 of 1997, s. 5, Applied:13 Nov 1997\]*](/view/html/inforce/1997-11-13/act-1997-045#GS5@Hpb@EN) seafans, sponges, corals, jelly-fish, salps and other bryozoans, poriferans, coelenterates and ctenophores; and > > > > > > > (j) protozoans and bacteria; and > > > > > > > (k) seagrass, seaweed and other aquatic vascular plants, algae, diatoms, euglenoids and any other marine plants. > > > (3)  A reference to fish includes – > > > > > > (a) the eggs, spat, spawn, seeds, spores, larvae or other offspring of an aquatic organism; and > > > > > > > (b) a shell containing fish or any other part derived from an aquatic organism; and > > > > > > > (c) raw, cooked, dismembered, frozen, preserved, salted or otherwise processed fish; and > > > > > > > (d) any other saltwater product declared by the regulations to be a fish for the purpose of any provision of this Act. > > > (4)  Fish does not include – > > > > > > (a) a whale as defined in the [Whales Protection Act 1988](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1988-058) ; or > > > > > > > (b) any aquatic mammal or aquatic bird; or > > > > > > > (c) [*\[Section 4 Subsection (4) amended by No. 6 of 2009, s. 4, Applied:27 Apr 2009\]*](/view/html/inforce/2009-04-27/act-2009-006#GS4@EN) [*\[Section 4 Subsection (4) amended by No. 3 of 2022, s. 5, Applied:18 Mar 2022\]*](/view/html/inforce/2022-03-18/act-2022-003#GS5@EN) freshwater fish as defined in the [Inland Fisheries Act 1995](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1995-110) , other than – > > > > > > > > > > (i) freshwater fish that – > > > > > > > > > > > > > > (A) is of a kind or species declared not to be freshwater fish in an order made and in force under [section 4(1)(b)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1995-110#GS4@Gs1@Hpb@EN) of that Act; and > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > (B) is in, or has been taken from, State waters that are not excepted waters as defined in that Act; or > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) freshwater fish that – > > > > > > > > > > > > > > (A) is of a kind, or species, of fish that forms a fishery or part of a fishery to which an arrangement applies; and > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > (B) is in, has been taken from, or is to be placed or introduced into, State waters to which the arrangement referred to in [subparagraph (ii)(A)](#GS4@Gs4@Hpc@Hqii@HrA@EN) relates.