2019-07-18 OM Agenda - Item 1 - Attachment 2 - Fisheries Regulation Discussion Paper

30. Allow offshore charter fishers to use trot lines in the spanner crab fishery.
    Charter operators are currently not permitted to use trot lines to target spanner crabs. However,
    some charter operators have been issued General Fisheries Permits to allow for this activity. It is
    proposed to allow unrestricted charter operators (existing licensed charter operators) to deploy trot
    lines of dillies to target spanner crabs.
31. Allow offshore charter fishers to fish during the coral reef fin fish spawning closure.
    It is proposed that eligible charter operators, who can demonstrate reliance on extended charter
    operations in the past three years (by providing evidence of a least 36 extended trips of greater
    than 72 hours duration), would be exempt from the coral reef fin fish spawning closures. The
    exemption would apply to the operator and would not be transferable. Those operators that
    allocated the exemption would have a note placed on their Licenced Charter Fishing Authority.
    This proposed amendment replaces a number of General Fisheries Permits that have been issued.

Proposed changes to recreational tidal fishing
32. Amend certain species in-possession limits.
    In-possession limits help ensure recreational fishing pressure remains within sustainable limits.
    The following in-possession limit changes are proposed:
       Change the in-possession limit of mud crab from 10 to 7.
       Introduce an in-possession limit for blue swimmer crab of 20.
       Change the in-possession limit for molluscs and gastropods (including pipi’s) from 50 to 30,
        excluding Moreton Bay where harvesting (with the exception of pipi’s) is prohibited.
       Introduce an in-possession limit of 50 for certain bait species—mullet (excluding diamond
        scale, sea and freshwater mullet), squid and cuttlefish (excluding tiger squid).
       Oysters to be defined to include all species of oyster except pearl oysters.
       Align the existing northern and southern tropical rock lobster in-possession limits to establish a
        single rule for Queensland. The southern limit of 5 would apply, increasing the northern in-
        possession limit from 3 to 5.
33. Prohibit the recreational take of hammerhead sharks.
    In recognition of the conservation-dependant status of hammerhead sharks under the federal
    Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, it is proposed that the recreational
    take of hammerhead sharks be prohibited.
34. Prohibit the recreational take of white teatfish.
    Due to the high commercial value of white teatfish, the importance of these species to local
    ecosystems and their susceptibility to overfishing, it is proposed that the recreational take of white
    teatfish be prohibited.
35. Introduce a general recreational in-possession limit.
    To ensure all species are subject to an appropriate and sustainable limit, it is proposed that a
    general in-possession limit of 20 be introduced for all species that are not subject to a species-
    specific in-possession limit. This aligns with the existing total in-possession limit for freshwater
    fishing in Queensland.
    Note: The general recreational in-possession limit would not apply to commercial fishers operating
    under the A1 fishery symbols.



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