Australia
Western Australia – complete protection since May 1998 because stocks determined to be insufficient and susceptible to overfishing. From December 1st, 2003, Coral Reef Fin Fish Management Plan (for Queensland waters, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park) prohibited all take and possession of Humphead Wrasse, other than for limited educational purposes and public display.

China
Permits are required for the sale of this species in Guangzhou province, southern mainland China – for conservation purposes.

Indonesia
Fishing permitted if:
- Done by researcher (with research permit) for the purpose of scientific and mariculture development, as well as by artisanal fishers (with specific fishing permit).
- Allowable weights are 1 to 3 kg. Fish with weight less than 1 kg and more than 3 kg should be used for mariculture and/or freed to nature.
- Allowable fishing methods for catching humphead wrasse are hook and line, fish trap and gill net.
- With regards to artisanal fishers involve in fisheries business partnership, the fishers should sell the fish to its collector partners.
- Collector and exporters should develop a rearing and culturing facility in the collection site which is equipped with staff knowledgeable in reef fish culture.
- Provincial Fisheries Services much monitor, control and report on permits and volumes 3-monthly but no data were available despite multiple queries and are apparently not collected.

Maldives
All exports ofumphead Wrasse were banned in 1995, largely due to concern for recreational diving, a sector that values this species.

Niue
The interference, take, kill, or bringing to shore of the Humphead Wrasse is prohibited without written approval.

Palau
Illegal to fish, buy or sell humphead wrasse
Papua New Guinea
There is a 65 cm minimum size limit for exporting Humphead Wrasse but this does not prevent fishers from catching and holding smaller Humphead Wrasse in cages (culturing) until they attain 65 cm TL. All live fish operators are required to obtain licenses.

Philippines
Exports of all live fish are technically prohibited from throughout the Philippines but this part of the code is evidently not implemented. Until recently Humphead Wrasse could not be exported from Palawan with an exemption for the taking of small fish for mariculture. The Palawan regulation is pending reconsideration. There was much illegal movement of this species outside of Palawan for subsequent export.

This species is listed on CITES Appendix II.