North Island Reef Observation Area, Houtman Abrolhos (Western Australia)

A no-take reef observation area of the Houtman Abrolhos, about 60 km off Geraldton, covering the waters around North Island, the isolated northernmost island of the Houtman Abrolhos and the smallest of the four reef observation areas at roughly 5 km2 in one continuous piece, about 3.2 km north-south by 2.4 km east-west. Clause 3 of the Houtman Abrolhos Reef Observation Areas Notice 1994 (Notice No. 637, made under sections 9 and 10 of the Fisheries Act 1905 and continued in force as an order under s.43 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994) provides that a person shall not take, or attempt to take, any fish by any means from the waters described in Schedule 1. The clause 4 exemptions are narrow and none of them covers spearfishing: rock lobster by pot (commercial and recreational, and by diving for recreational pot-licence holders), and attended hand-line fishing by four named licensees resident on Beacon Island or Leo Island between 15 March and 30 June. Spearfishing is therefore prohibited. Outside the reef observation areas the Abrolhos Islands Fish Habitat Protection Area carries its own reduced demersal bag limits and a requirement that boat masters notify the department of their stay. No Defined Fishing Area was declared inside this one, so the clause 4 hand-line exemptions have no application here at all and the only lawful take is rock lobster by pot.