Technical Information Sheet #25

Published 2002

This page contains background and history of the Representative Areas Program.

• View current Zoning information.

Commercial Fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Commercial fishing activities are recognised by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) for their social, cultural and economic importance to communities as well as to the State and national economy.

The GBRMPA received over 10,000 submissions during the first round of public consultation for the Representative Areas Program (RAP).  Commercial fishing issues identified through the submission process have been considered in development of the Draft Zoning Plan.

Worldwide there is increasing evidence that historical fisheries management practices are struggling to achieve ecologically sustainable fisheries, with fish stocks declining and in some instances collapsing.   Today, with increasing effort and new technologies, there are even greater pressures on fish stocks.  In the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (the Marine Park) it is important to ensure that all fisheries are ecologically sustainable. 

No-take areas can protect important fish breeding and nursery areas such as seagrass beds, mangrove communities, deepwater shoals and reefs. Scientific research in the Great Barrier Reef and elsewhere shows the benefits for many species when eggs, larvae and young fish develop unhindered in protected areas. As the size of fish increase within no-take areas, bigger fish produce more offspring. Adult fish, and their offspring, are not confined to the no-take areas and can move into adjoining areas, effectively creating a ‘spill-over’ effect that helps replenish fish stocks in areas where fishing is allowed. The effect of no-take areas on increasing fish stocks has been likened to a retirement savings plan, with the accumulated interest on natural capital paying valuable and sustainable dividends and hence future benefits in the long term.

Proposed management framework for commercial fishing activities

The GBRMPA is proposing to update and standardise the use and entry provisions in the Draft Zoning Plan and amend some definitions for commercial fishing activities. Commercial fishers will benefit from the proposed changes through:

1. Greater consistency with Queensland fisheries legislation;
2. Greater protection of fish species of conservation importance;
3. Maintenance of fisheries resources for current and future generations;
4. Consolidate provisions for commercial harvest fisheries to continue to operate in relevant zones with a permit;
5. Simplified zone boundaries using coordinates where possible;
6. Matching of zone boundaries with QDPI&F site or grid boundaries (for logbook reporting of fishing effort) where possible; and
7. Clarification of requirements to stow or secure fishing gear in Marine National Park (Green) Zones.

Queensland fisheries legislation continues to apply to all commercial fishing activities conducted in the GBRMP.

Commercial fishing activities allowed in Marine Park zones under the Draft Zoning Plan and proposed regulations

Line Fishing and Trolling

With regard to line fishing and trolling the Draft Zoning Plan will:

• Continue to allow line fishing in General Use (light blue) and Habitat Protection (dark blue) Zones;
• Allow limited line fishing in Conservation Park (yellow) Zones;
• Ensure no more than one tender commercial fishing vessel be detached from a primary commercial fishing vessel in a Conservation Park (yellow) Zone, through proposed GBRMP Regulations;
• Continue to allow for trolling to occur in General Use (light blue) and Habitat Protection (dark blue) Zones, limited to one line per person in Conservation Park (yellow) Zones; and
• Allow trolling only for pelagic species in Buffer (olive green) Zones.
  

Commercial dive-based fisheries

Commercial dive-based fisheries include sea cucumber, trochus, tropical spiny lobster, marine aquarium fish, and coral fisheries continue to be undertaken in accordance with Queensland fisheries legislation. In regards to commercial dive-based fisheries the Draft Zoning Plan will:

• Continue to allow for the commercial take of coral in the General Use (light blue) and Habitat Protection (dark blue) Zones with a GBRMPA permit;
• Consolidate current zoning provisions for these fisheries (see harvest fishery definition) by providing that a harvest fishery may be undertaken with a permit in the General Use (light blue) and Habitat Protection (dark blue) Zones.  Provision is made for these fisheries to be undertaken without a permit once Queensland fisheries management arrangements have been accredited by the GBRMPA.
• Until such fishery management arrangements are accredited by the GBRMPA, the current requirement for a GBRMPA permit for harvest fisheries will apply to each fishery.

Bait Netting

In regards to bait netting by the commercial sector, the Draft Zoning Plan will:

• Provide an updated definition of bait netting;
• Continue to allow bait netting in the General Use (light blue), Habitat Protection (dark blue) and Conservation Park (yellow) Zones without a permit.
• Restrict bait netting in the Conservation Park (yellow) Zone to a maximum net length of 250 metres; and
• Remove the provision for bait netting from Buffer (light green) Zones.

Commercial Crabbing and Commercial Netting

The Draft Zoning Plan will maintain the current arrangements for commercial crabbing and netting use and entry provisions (noting that the aquarium fishery is to be managed as a harvest fishery).

Trawling

The Draft Zoning Plan will generally maintain the status quo for trawling but will mirror Queensland trawl closures by incorporating such closed areas in Habitat Protection (dark blue) Zones.

Fishing gear stowed or secured requirements

In a zone where the use of certain equipment is not permitted, all gear that is normally used for fishing must be stowed or secured, in accordance with the requirements in the Regulations.

Protected species

A list of protected fish is included in Schedule 5 of the GBRMP Regulations.  The GBRMPA is proposing to amend this list to protect:

• All sizes of potato cod, hump-headed Maori wrasse and barramundi cod, consistent with zero bag limits proposed in Queensland fisheries legislation
• All other fish species of the genus Epinephelus (cods and groupers) greater than 100cm in length (measured in accordance with Queensland fisheries legislation), consistent with maximum size limits proposed in Queensland fisheries legislation
• Rare or threatened species, including dugong, turtle and several species of seabirds and invertebrates

The GBRMPA proposes designating the existing Dugong Protection Areas as Special Management Areas for species conservation purposes and applying mirror provisions to these areas through the GBRMP Regulations.   See the Dugong Management Areas Information Sheet for more information.

Definitions