WA · REGULATIONS · JUNE 2026

Red Emperor WA legal size & bag limits.

Red Emperor (also known as Government Bream, Nannygai) in Western Australia. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit — verified against the DPIRD WA guide, 2026.

In Western Australia, the minimum legal size for Red Emperor is 45 cm and the daily bag limit is 2 (West Coast and other bioregions; 1 at the Abrolhos Islands) — counts toward the demersal scalefish mixed bag, with a possession limit of Governed by WA's general weight/days-based finfish possession limit, not a fixed per-species count. Season note: The West Coast bioregion is closed to recreational BOAT fishing for demersal scalefish — red emperor is a demersal scalefish — until Spring 2027 (land-based and charter outside Perth Metro are exempt). Otherwise no closed season.

The numbers

Minimum size
45cm
Daily bag
2 (West Coast and other bioregions; 1 at the Abrolhos Islands) — counts toward the demersal scalefish mixed bag
Possession
Governed by WA's general weight/days-based finfish possession limit, not a fixed per-species count
Check the live Red Emperor bite forecast for your spot →

Closed season

The West Coast bioregion is closed to recreational BOAT fishing for demersal scalefish — red emperor is a demersal scalefish — until Spring 2027 (land-based and charter outside Perth Metro are exempt). Otherwise no closed season.

Why these rules exist

WA red emperor minimum is 45 cm with an individual cap of 2 (1 at the Abrolhos Islands), counting toward the demersal scalefish "total mixed species" daily bag. The West Coast demersal boat-fishing closure to Spring 2027 applies. Possession is governed by a weight/days rule.

Source & verification

These limits are pulled from the DPIRD WA Recreational fishing guide 2026. Last verified June 2026.

Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Western Australia) updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.

Western Australia does not require a general licence to fish from the shore. A licence is needed only for specific activities — fishing from a powered boat (Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence), rock lobster, abalone, marron, south-west freshwater angling, and net fishing. Check WA licence requirements.

See related

Written by
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen, founder of Fishare, holding a yellowfin tuna boatside
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen

Olli-Mikael Vaittinen has fished his whole life. Fifteen years of fly fishing, guiding seasons on Norway's Lakselva — his favourite Atlantic salmon river — and a blue marlin landed in Vava'u, Tonga. Founder of Fishare — the app that puts the data behind the decisions every angler makes on the water.

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