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

4. Allow issue of a general fisheries permit to trial new and alternative gear types to support
   innovation within the commercial fishing industry.
   It is proposed that a General Fisheries Permit would be issued, at no cost and under certain
   conditions, to trial bycatch reduction devices, turtle excluder devices and alternative gear types that
   could help minimise the impact of fishing on the broader ecosystem. Similar to a Developmental
   Fishery Permit, a trial of gear and a decision to implement new gear types would need to be
   determined within three years of the General Fisheries Permit being issued.
5. Amend provisions relating to the processing of sharks at sea by commercial fishers.
   It is proposed that commercial fishers, on both the east coast and the Gulf of Carpentaria, would
   be required to land sharks taken in the fishery with their fins naturally attached. This requirement
   would still allow for other common forms of processing at sea (i.e. head and guts removed) to
   continue. However, filleting of sharks at sea would no longer be permitted. This amendment would
   meet conditions of the Wildlife Trade Operation accreditation issued under the federal Environment
   Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Proposed commercial fishing changes to Queensland crab fisheries
6. Divide the existing Queensland Commercial Crab Fishery (C1) into three management areas
   and establish a separate total allowable commercial catch (TACC) based on sustainable
   catch limits for each management area.
   The TACC would be adjusted up and down in accordance with a harvest strategy:
     a. Mud Crab Gulf of Carpentaria (GC1)
     b. Mud Crab East Coast (EC1)
     c. Blue Swimmer Crab all waters (BC1).
   Fishers who hold a C1 fishery symbol would be able to access all management areas, as they
   currently can. However, they would only be able to fish for, and retain, crab species if they hold
   individual transferable quota units for the relevant management area.
7. Allocate individual transferable quota (ITQ) for mud crab and blue swimmer crab for the
   Queensland Commercial Crab Fishery (C1).
   It is proposed that mud crab and blue swimmer crab ITQ units would be allocated to eligible fishers.
   Allocation would be based on the following:
    a. Each licence’s annual catch history for the six (6) best years from the seven (7) year allocation
       period between 2011 and 2017.
                             (Sum of licences reported catch for best 6 years ÷ 6) x fishery units
         Allocated units =
                             Whole fishery sum of catch for best 6 years
    b. ITQ would be issued to eligible Commercial Fishing Boat Licences that have a C1 symbol
       written on it at close of business (5 pm) on the date of allocation. The date of allocation would
       be a future date set by the Fisheries Regulation
    c. Only logbook history up to a maximum annual cap of 6 tonnes would be used to calculate
       allocation for licences with one C1 symbol. For any years that a licence had two C1 symbols
       written on it (from 23 May 2014), logbook history up to a maximum cap of 12 tonnes would be
       used for quota allocation. To be eligible for the 12 tonne cap for any of the annual catch years,
       there must be two C1 symbols written on the licence on the date of allocation. There is no
       maximum annual cap for blue swimmer crab.

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