Black teatfish season opens on 23 March 2026

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲 – 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞

On 20 March 2026, AFMA received strong advice from the Fisheries Advisory Committee of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Board that the scheduled 23 March 2026 opening date of the Blackteat Fishery should be delayed due to an unacceptable risk posed on traditional inhabitant boat (TIB) fishers to reach the blackteat fishing grounds.

The new start date for fishing for the Blackteat Fishery is Tuesday 24 March 2026. No fishing for Blackteat is allowed before 24 March 2026. All Traditional Inhabitant Boat licences have been varied to reflect this condition change.

Fishers can contact the AFMA Thursday Island Office on 0437 825 291 or by email at blackteatfish@afma.gov.au to discuss the installation of VMS devices before the commencement of the fishery start date.

The annual Torres Strait black teatfish season will open on Monday 23 March 2026.

The total allowable catch (TAC) for 2026 is 20.783 tonnes.

This year, all fishers are required to use vessel monitoring systems (VMS).

Daily landing and reporting of catch will be required by 11:00pm daily. The PJZA or its delegate will use this daily information to determine the closing day of the season, based on its reasonable belief that the TAC will be reached on that day (the TAC Date).

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) will advise Traditional Inhabitant Boat (TIB) and Fish Receiver licence holders of the TAC Date once determined by the PZJA Licencing Delegate.

The total catch for last year’s black teatfish season (3–5 March 2025) was 19.22 tonnes. This was the largest catch and the shortest season since the black teatfish fishery reopened in 2023. A catch of 7.3 tonnes on 4 March 2025 set a new record for a single day.

Fishing of the black teatfish is exclusive to Traditional Inhabitants of the Torres Strait. Worth more than half a million dollars to the local economy, it is a critical source of income that supports the livelihoods and traditional way of life of all Torres Strait communities.

On 15 May 2023, the black teatfish season opened on a non-trial basis for the first time since 2003. This followed trial openings in 2021 and 2022 and a scientific survey of the black teatfish population in the East Torres Strait, conducted by the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), AFMA and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

The survey found the black teatfish had significantly recovered from historic overfishing and was safe to be fished, under a strict harvest strategy.

During black teatfish season, AFMA fisheries officers conduct land and sea operations to ensure all catches are recorded in accordance with catch disposal requirements.

For more information, visit the Torres Strait Bêche-de-mer Fishery page or call AFMA’s Thursday Island office on 07 4069 1990.