Net and Inshore Line Fishery
Net and Inshore Line Fishery
The east coast commercial net and inshore line fishery focuses on species such as barramundi, shark, small mackerel, tropical salmon, mullet, gar, whiting and flathead. Commercial fishers generally use nets to target these species (except spotted mackerel), while the recreational sector usually uses hook and line. Commercial fishers involved in the net fishery (apart from larger vessels targeting shark) are usually small-scale operators whose operating costs are more modest than those in the otter trawl or coral reef finfish fisheries. The Queensland Fisheries Service has indicated that once management arrangements for the coral reef finfish fishery are finalised, resources will be directed to preparing an East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery Management Plan. Recent changes to fisheries regulations relating to netting and finfish resources targeted by this fishery have been implemented in response to specific management priorities. The main issues in the fishery are ecological sustainability of current levels of effort, latent effort (substantial number of unused or under-utilised commercial netting endorsements), concerns over possible interaction with species of conservation concern, and strong opposition to commercial netting in near-shore areas and estuaries from recreational fishers and the wider community.
Dive-Based Fisheries
The Queensland Fisheries Service is the lead agency responsible for the management of several dive-based fisheries. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has separate legislative assessment and permitting requirements in relation to commercial dive-based or 'collecting' fisheries under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. These fisheries include tropical rock lobster, marine aquarium fishes, trochus, sea cucumber, coral and specimen shells.
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| The commercial tropical rock lobster fishery is managed on a limited entry basis and is restricted to north of 14° S latitude. |
The Harvest Fishery Management Advisory Committee (HarvestMAC) established under the Fisheries Act 1994 is facilitating the development of management arrangements for each of the dive-based fisheries and provides an effective forum through which to address management issues across the harvest fisheries.
Tropical rock lobster
The Queensland East Coast tropical rock lobster fishery has both a recreational and a commercial component.
The commercial fishery is managed on a limited entry basis and is restricted to north of 14º S latitude (centred on three reefs off Shellbourne Bay). The commercial fishery is subject to a closed season (October to January inclusive) for spawning stock protection, a minimum size limit and prohibitions on the taking of berried females. Take must be by hand or hand-spear only. Underwater breathing apparatus may be used in the commercial fishery. There is no bycatch associated with this fishery.
An investment warning for the commercial fishery was issued on 31 May 2001 due to concern regarding latent effort and decreasing catches in the fishery. Further management arrangements are required to address these concerns.
More research is needed to provide a reliable stock assessment, information regarding the mortality rates of spawning lobsters and increased knowledge of the spawning stock/recruitment relationship between this fishery and the Torres Straits fishery.
The recreational tropical rock lobster fishery is subject to size, bag and boat possession limits. Additional management arrangements to deter black marketing are proposed.
Marine aquarium fishes
The marine aquarium fish fishery is managed by input controls (on apparatus, number of participants, number of divers and area of operation). Commercial fishers are limited to collection of fishes by hand or by using lines or cast, scoop or mesh nets; however underwater breathing apparatus may be used. It is a limited entry fishery, with some 60 transferable authorities. Recreational aquarium fish collection also occurs, however only limited catch and effort information is available. There is no bycatch associated with this fishery.
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| There are concerns over the potential for localised depletions for some aquarium fish species |
There are concentrations of collectors and effort in areas close to overseas air export facilities (mainly located in Brisbane and Cairns). Collected species are exported or sold to domestic hobbyists. Management arrangements have been introduced to address latent effort in the fishery and to address concerns regarding potential for localised depletion, including the introduction of different categories of “authorities” (or licences) which may be subject to restrictions including bag limits, amendments to the application process including entry criteria and the introduction of history-based access to special management areas.
Only limited assessment of catches of marine aquarium fish has occurred and there is an absence of reliable long-term historical catch and effort information. Species and site-specific data returns are required to monitor the fishery adequately.
Trochus
The fishery for this mollusc is managed through limited entry and a quota system. Currently there is a 300-tonne total allowable catch set in the Fisheries Regulation 1995 for the east coast fishery, with 250 tonnes allocated each year to existing “authority” (or licence). Only one species (Trochus niloticus) is collected commercially in Queensland under six trochus licenses, which are transferable. Commercial collection may be undertaken by hand or using a hand-held non-mechanical implement with underwater breathing apparatus. The transferability of authorities is a key management issue. The QFS is in the process of converting the total allowable catch to a 'unit' format that removes unallocated quota. There is a negligible recreational component and no bycatch associated with this fishery.
Size limits provide spawning and recruitment stock protection, which is further enhanced by a degree of self-selectivity in the fishery whereby a proportion of legal sized shell is not suitable for collection if ‘worm eaten’ or sun bleached. The fishery has long been centred mainly in the Swains Reefs and catches have been stable over time. Green zones encompass several highly productive trochus reefs and are effective spatial closures from a fisheries management perspective. Quota is easier to monitor than in the sea cucumber fishery because the product is more readily accounted for and inspected. A review of two previous stock assessments has been completed recently with no concerns identified.
Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumber (also known as the dried product ‘beche-de-mer’) is a quota-managed fishery with six quota holders. There are two main target species of sea cucumbers, viz black teatfish and white teatfish. However, the black teatfish fishery has collapsed and there is a zero quota for black teatfish until stocks regenerate. The current sea cucumber total allowable catch for the east coast is 380 tonnes made up of 127 tonnes of white teatfish and 253 tonnes of other species. A 15-centimetre minimum size limit applies but is difficult to enforce because these animals can change size and shape dramatically once caught. There is no recreational component and no bycatch associated with this fishery.
There is little information available about the biology of sea cucumbers and recruitment rates are largely unknown, so there is a poor scientific basis for catch quotas. Research is being undertaken on the principal species to enable better stock assessments to be undertaken. Some species not yet harvested could become high-value, high-demand species in the future.
Difficulties with quota monitoring and compliance are being addressed through requirements for prior reporting of catch and the development of additional management arrangements.
Coral
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| There are 50 coral collecting sites within the GBRMP |
Coral is an input and output control (quota) managed fishery. There are some 50 coral collecting sites, each of which can have an annual harvest of up to four tonnes. Actual harvest levels are below 50 tonnes landed annually by 36 operators. Harvest levels are sustainable, although conflicts arise between harvesting and coral viewing at some accessible sites.
The industry has progressed from the curio trade to the aquarium live coral trade. Collectors now are targeting species never collected previously. There has been concern that rarer species could be targeted and overcollected. Quota monitoring has been strengthened and additional management arrangements are being developed.
Specimen shells
There are seven authorities to collect specimen shells. The QFS permits specify no more than ten live shells of any one species are to be taken annually. The intent is for a specimen collection fishery, not a large-volume collection fishery. Currently 'limited collecting' is defined as ‘a maximum of five specimens per species in possession in any 28-day period’. This applies 'as of right' in Marine Park General Use zones, but is difficult to enforce. Zoning provisions for ‘limited collecting’ will be altered by means of the Reef-wide rezoning which is currently occurring through the Representative Areas Program.