Fisheries - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Commercial and recreational (including charter) fishing constitute a major use of the fisheries resources of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Each year about 24 000 tonnes of seafood (valued around $120 million) are harvested by the commercial sector alone. All of the commercial fisheries are managed by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (QDPI&F), but some fisheries (like the dive-based fisheries) also require a permit from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

Based on recreational fishing surveys, there are more than 800 000 recreational fishers in Queensland, who spend over $240 million each year to catch between 3 500 and 4 300 tonnes of seafood. Some 120 fishing charter vessels operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, ranging from large reef-going charter vessels to smaller inshore operators. Recreational and charter fishing is an integral part of the Great Barrier Reef tourism, valued at $4.2 billion a year.

Although largely unquantified, indigenous fishing occurs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park generally in close proximity to communities along the East Coast up to the tip of Cape York. Indigenous fishing is generally carried out in conjunction with traditional hunting.

The major commercial fisheries in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park include the:

• East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery
• East Coast Coral Reef Line Fishery
• East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery
• East Coast Dive-Based Fisheries

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Related Links

• Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Sustainable Fisheries
• QDPI&F Fisheries and Aquaculture
• CRC Reef Fisheries of Queensland’s East Coast
• QSIA
• Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Australia’s Fishing Industry
• Queensland Fisheries Legislation