Freshwater Aquarium Fish
The Inland Fisheries Service has oversight of freshwater aquarium fish within Tasmania. The Inland Fisheries Act 1995 and subordinate legislation set out the rules and regulations.
Can I bring my aquarium with me when I move to Tasmania?
Maybe. This will depend on what the fish are.
All Tasmanians have a General Biosecurity Duty. This means everyone has a role to play in protecting our unique environment against biosecurity risks.
The first thing to do is check the permissible imports list and make sure the species of freshwater aquarium fish you wish to bring are on the list. If they are not on the list, they cannot come into Tasmania.
If they are on the list, you will still need a permit to bring them into Tasmania. Please lodge an exemption permit application. There is a fee for an exemption permit. We will consider your application, on biosecurity and compassionate grounds.
Make sure to include on the application:
- a declaration that the fish are healthy and free of diseases
- the address of where the move is from and to.
Your application will be assessed by the Director of Inland Fisheries.
Please be aware, even with an exemption permit issued by the Director of Inland Fisheries, the freshwater aquarium fish could be seized at the border by Biosecurity Tasmania, please check their website for information about live fish imports.
I have a home aquarium and the fish have bred. Can I sell the fry (baby fish)?
No.
The fish may be kept but cannot be sold.
If you wish to breed and sell freshwater aquarium fish, you will need a fish farm licence.
Fish Farm licences are divided into three categories. The categories, and their costs, are explained in the Fee Schedule on the Forms page of our website. An application can be downloaded from the Forms page too.
The species of freshwater aquarium fish you want to breed needs to be on the Permissible Imports List, also found on the Forms page of our website.
Can I import fish directly from a supplier on the mainland for my home aquarium?
No.
Freshwater aquarium fish can only be imported by a Tasmanian Registered Fish Dealer.
The importation of freshwater aquarium fish by anyone other than a Tasmanian Registered Fish Dealer will only be considered on compassionate grounds, such as moving to Tasmania and wishing to relocate a home aquarium, and then only if the fish are on the Permissible Imports List.
To receive a registration to be a fish dealer, applicants need to demonstrate their intention to form a business with biosecurity and disease management. The source of the freshwater aquarium fish must be declared at the time of application and the conditions under which the fish are kept before sale are assessed to ensure they are of a safe standard.
Please contact a Tasmanian Registered Fish Dealer who may be able to help you.
Can I bring an freshwater aquarium fish into Tasmania as a gift?
No.
The importation of freshwater aquarium fish is restricted to Tasmanian Registered Fish Dealers. Registered Fish Dealers operate a commercial business trading in ornamental fish.
Please contact, and purchase fish from, a Tasmanian Registered Fish Dealer.
I would like to breed and sell freshwater aquarium fish. What licence do I need?
If you wish to breed and sell freshwater aquarium fish, you will need a fish farm licence.
Fish Farm licences are divided into three categories. The categories, and their costs, are explained in the Fee Schedule on the Forms page of our website. An application can be downloaded from the Forms page too.
The species of freshwater aquarium fish you want to breed needs to be on the Permissible Imports List, also found on the Forms page of our website.
If I have a fish farm licence, can I import into freshwater aquarium fish into Tasmania?
No.
The importation of freshwater aquarium fish into Tasmania is restricted to Registered Fish Dealers. Registered Fish Dealers operate a commercial business trading in freshwater aquarium fish.
If you’re looking for brood stock for your freshwater aquarium fish farm, please contact, and purchase fish from, a Tasmanian Registered Fish Dealer.
Selling and trading in freshwater aquarium fish
The background:
Selling and trading in aquarium freshwater aquarium fish is called ‘dealing in applicable fish’ under the Inland Fisheries Act 1995.
The Inland Fisheries Service has oversight of freshwater aquarium fish within Tasmania. The Inland Fisheries Act 1995 and subordinate legislation set out the rules and regulations.
The Inland Fisheries Service Permissible imports list - freshwater aquarium fish lists the freshwater aquarium fish that can be imported into, and dealt, within Tasmania.
If you wish to set up a commercial operation dealing in applicable (freshwater aquarium fish) you are invited and encouraged to talk with the Commercial Fisheries Officer before you lodge an application. They can be reached on 6165 3808 or by email to infish@ifs.tas.gov.au.
The application form and fees can be found on the IFS website
What the legislation says:
The Inland Fisheries Act 1995 (IFA) talks about ‘applicable’ fish’. To help understand what it means, here is a (not completely comprehensive) summary:
applicable fish means a kind or species of fish declared under section 60;
Inland Fisheries Act 1995 section 3 (interpretation)
What does this mean? The Inland Fisheries (Applicable Fish) Order 1996 answers this:
4. Applicable fish
The following freshwater fish are declared to be applicable fish for the purpose of Division 1 of Part 4 of the Act:
- eels;
- whitebait;
- any acclimatised fish;
- any imported fish.
Inland Fisheries (applicable Fish) Order 1996 Act section 4
What is ‘dealing’ with applicable fish? The IFA says:
Definition of "dealing with applicable fish"
A person deals with applicable fish if the person –
- imports the fish for commercial purposes; or
- sells the fish; or
- processes or treats the fish for commercial purposes; or
- manufactures or obtains any substance from the fish for commercial purposes.
Inland Fisheries Act section 61
The IFA then goes on to say
A person must not deal with applicable fish except where the person is a registered fish dealer and does so under the authority of, and in accordance with, a fish dealer's registration certificate.
Inland Fisheries Act section 62 (a)
However, a registered fish dealer is authorised to:
carry on one or more of the following activities as specified in the fish dealer's registration certificate:
- importing all, or a specified species or a specified kind of, applicable fish;
- selling a specified species or a specified kind of applicable fish;
- processing or treating a specified species or a specified kind of applicable fish;
- manufacturing or obtaining any substance from all, or a specified species or a specified kind of, applicable fish for the purpose of sale.
Inland Fisheries Act section 66
The IFA defines ‘sell’ as including:
- dispose by any method for valuable consideration; and
- barter; and
- dispose to an agent for sale on consignment; and
- offer or attempt to sell; and
- receive or have in possession for sale; and
- expose for sale; and
- send or deliver for sale; and
- cause or permit to be sold, offered or exposed for sale; and
- dispose by way of raffle, lottery or other game of chance;
Inland Fisheries Act section 3
