The East Coast Dive-Based Fisheries (also known as harvest or collection fisheries) are valued around $15 million per year. There are five major commercial fisheries in this category:

• Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery - valued at $6 million with 28 operators taking around 200 tonnes per year.
• Aquarium Fish Fishery - valued at $4 million with 41 full-time operators and 14 restricted operators in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
• Sea Cucumber (or Beche-de-Mer) Fishery - valued at $4 million with three operators permitted to take a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 380 tonnes per year.
• Coral Fishery - valued at $1 million with 36 operators permitted to take a TAC of 200 tonnes per year.
• Trochus Fishery - valued at $0.7 million with six operators permitted to take a TAC of 300 tonnes per year.

In addition to the above-mentioned dive-based fisheries, there are also two smaller collection fisheries for specimen shells and bait (worms and yabbies).

The dive-based fisheries are managed by the Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (PIF), but a permit from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is also required for operations within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. There are no Management Plans in place for any of the dive-based fisheries but management arrangements include limited entry, quota, fishing gear restrictions and area restrictions.

Related Links

• Queensland Primary Industries & Fisheries
• Rapid assessment of anemone and anemonefish populations at the Keppel Islands: a report to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
• Environmental Assessment of the Queensland Beche-de-mer Fishery
• Environmental Assessment of the Queensland Trochus Fishery
• Environmental Assessment of the Queensland Tropical Rocklobster Fishery
• Environmental Assessment of the Queensland Marine Specimen Shell Fishery
• Cooperative Research Centres Reef Research Centre - Queensland’s East Coast Harvest Fisheries