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

Implementing the fisheries reforms—essential for long-term sustainability
and profitability




In January 2019, the Queensland Government released a directions paper on fisheries reforms that
outlined the proposed direction for reforming some of the state’s most important fisheries, the trawl,
crab and east coast inshore fisheries. The following proposed amendments are consistent with this
direction.

Proposed changes that apply to all sectors
1. Amend the king threadfin minimum legal size limit.
   It is proposed to increase the minimum legal size limit for king threadfin from 60 cm to 65 cm to
   allow more fish to mature on the east coast. This is consistent with the best available science on
   biological size at maturity for this species. This change would apply to both recreational and
   commercial fishers on the east coast, but would not apply in the Gulf of Carpentaria as it is a
   different stock.

Proposed commercial fishing changes that apply across multiple fisheries
2. Requirement for a Commercial Fishing Boat Licence and relevant fishery symbol to hold
   new individual transferable quota units.
   It is proposed that for the new quota-managed fisheries (east coast inshore, mud crab and blue
   swimmer crab fisheries), a Commercial Fishing Boat Licence and the relevant fishery symbol must
   be held to buy, lease or sell quota. This is in response to commercial fishers’ concerns about
   fisheries becoming dominated by one or two fishing operations. It would not apply to existing
   quota-managed fisheries (e.g. coral trout, tropical rock lobster and spanner crab).
3. Requirement for bycatch reduction devices to be used in line with best practice.
   It is proposed that bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) would be used in commercial fisheries in
   Queensland to reduce the impact of fishing on the broader ecosystem. Commercial fishers would
   be required to fit and use BRDs relevant to the fishery or gear type they are operating. A list of
   prescribed BRDs would be established based on existing science, which could be updated from
   time to time through a prescribed process. Proposed BRDs for initial implementation include:
    a.   escape vents for mud crab (based on the study conducted by the Northern Territory
         Government: MA Grubert and HS Lee, Improving gear selectivity in Australian mud crab
         fisheries, project no. 2010/042). The proposed dimensions are
         -   minimum 2 x 120 mm x 50 mm (width x height) escape vents
         -   minimum 2 x 90 mm diameter rings
    b.   no change to trawl BRDs (other than clarifying weighting of bigeye)
    c.   bycatch reduction grids for tunnel netting apparatus.




                                                                                                         5