Recreational catch in 1995 was estimated at around 50 tonne and indigenous take is unknown at this stage. Mud crabs are fished using baited pots or traps in all coastal and estuarine waters of the Northern Territory extending from Queensland to the Western Australian border. The majority of commercial activity is focussed in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Recreational activity is focussed in southern Gulf and in the vicinity of Darwin.
Indigenous use is widespread over the coastline.
The commercial fishery is limited to a maximum of 49 fully transferable licences each entitled to use up to 60 pots. A management plan has been enacted for this fishery. Minimum size limits are in place for male and female mud crabs with the aim of allowing mature mud crabs to provide sufficient recruits to the fishery. Although exploitation rates are high in some heavily fished areas, recruitment to the fishery seems more than adequate. The commercial coastal line fishery is a line and trap fishery that extends out to 15 nautical miles from the shore.