Shellfish Fishery

The commercial shellfish fishery includes:

• Venerupis clams in Georges Bay,
• Katelysia cockles in Ansons Bay,
• native oysters (Ostreaangasi) in Georges Bay
• wild Pacific oysters.

Formal management arrangements were introduced in March 2007 and remade in February 2017, see: Fisheries (Shellfish) Rules 2017. 
The management plan for the commercial fishery is both species and area specific due to the high level of variability associated with each population in size, age at maturity, growth rates and other resource users from area to area. 
The commercial venerupis clam fishery currently only allows for two licences both operating in Georges Bay.

The native oyster (Angasi) fishery is also restricted to Georges Bay and is limited to two licences. 

Katelysia cockles are limited to Ansons Bay with the number of licences restricted to three.

The total allowable catch for these species is determined by stock surveys undertaken every second year.

There is no cap on the number of wild Pacific oyster licences that may be issued but as for the take of all bivalves for commercial fisheries, operators are bound by the requirements of the Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (TSQAP) and are liable to pay the associated fees.

http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/sea-fishing-aquaculture/commercial-fishing/shellfish-fishery