2016-09-06 - Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                     6 SEPTEMBER 2016


VISION                 Fishing is a low risk to Queensland’s aquatic resources and these are shared
                       to optimise benefits to the community.

REFORM GOALS                    1                  2                3                4                5
What we are seeking       Long-term            Economic         Clear and        Enhance       Investment in
to achieve             sustainability and    returns to the   unambiguous       systems to        fisheries
                        resilient stocks    community and      regulatory         support       management
                                             access for all    framework         fisheries
                                                 users                         management
                       5. Optimise decision making framework to ensure
                       responsive, fit-for-purpose management
                       arrangements
                       6. Adopt harvest strategies that have the flexibility to
                       maximise benefits, for both the community and the
                       ecosystem
                       7. Improve data and information to underpin best-practice
                       management arrangements
                                           8. Improved consultation and engagement to include stakeholders
                                           in the development and implementation of management
                                           arrangements
                       9. Upgrade fisheries compliance to underpin all management
                       objectives
                       10. As the fisheries reform program develops, consideration will be given to how the
                       costs of improved management will be met

Table 1. The vision, goals and areas of reform for future fisheries management in Queensland (Source: Green
Paper).

It is anticipated these reforms will address community concerns about the health of our fisheries,
the impact of fishing on the environment, and improve Queensland’s reputation as a marine
tourism and recreational fishing destination (refer Attachment 1 for more details about what the
reforms will change).
The State also recognises that the strategic reform process outlined above may take a number of
years to be completed and any new legislative powers put in place.


4     FISHERY-SPECIFIC REFORMS
In the meantime, the State is proposing a number of ‘fishery-specific reforms’ must continue to
occur to address existing sustainability issues and the declining economic viability of some
Commercial sectors. The fisheries being targeted include:
    East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery (i.e. sea mullet, tailor, sand whiting, flathead, bream)
    East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery (i.e. bugs, squid, prawns)
    Mud Crab and Blue Swimmer Crab Fisheries.
In terms of Commercial fishers, the State proposes to review the fishery management
arrangements with a view to further limiting total catch and effort. This may necessitate a
restructure within many Commercial fisheries that will likely lead to fewer operators fishing with
more business certainty and higher profitably.
The current management arrangements in place for these fisheries do not have sufficient
capacity to control total catch.
The State is also proposing to sit down with both Recreational and Commercial fishing
organisations to:
    investigate how a commercial net-free fishing area can be best instituted in Moreton Bay
      for the benefit of the region; and
    examine further net-free zones after an open application process.


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