The reef line fishing sector was the first to be included in the Reef Guardian Fishers initiative. This is a selective fishery where a single doryman fishes with one line with one hook, catching one fish at a time.

All Reef Guardian Fishers have agreed to a set of robust practices that meet the desired outcomes of the assessment standard.

To protect the health of the Great Barrier Reef, Reef Guardian Fishers fish in the right zones and ensure fuel transfer procedures are followed to prevent fuel spills in the marine environment

Participants fish in ways to maximise the health of fish populations. They use non-stainless steel hooks that rust quickly allowing fish with retained hooks to recover quickly.

Unwanted fish are released close to reefs so they can escape predators and return to their environment safely.

These fishers have also agreed to participate in a range of additional projects such as:

• Trialling electronic data collection devices that collect finer scale data on catch, effort and fishing locations
• Trialling environmental monitoring forms that will allow fishers to report back to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority what they see happening on the Reef
• Participating in the Coral Trout Tagging Program that will improve the understanding of coral trout growth and movement in normal and extreme weather conditions
• Utilising an Emissions Calculator that tracks the fishers' energy use and calculates their carbon footprint.

Reef Guardian Fishers are also working with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to find ways to protect their operations and limit stress to the Reef in the case of extreme weather events (e.g. cyclones and floods) and climate change.

Reef Guardian Participant Interviews

	Reef Guardian interview with Steve Howe, commercial line fisherman Innisfail
	Reef Guardian interview with Dan Learoyd, commercial line fisherman Cooktown