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

   Note: Fishers are reminded that an investment warning is in place for all Queensland fisheries.
   Each ITQ unit would entitle the holder to take a share of the TACC in the relevant management
   unit. The annual ITQ unit administration fee for mud crab GC1 would be approximately $7.76 per
   unit (or 20c per crab), for EC1 $4.86 per unit (or 20c per crab), and for BC1 $6.96 per unit (or 15c
   per crab).
   To be eligible to fish, a minimum holding of ITQ units or equivalent to 1.2 tonnes for GC1 and EC1
   would be required. As long as the minimum holding is maintained in a licence holders quota
   account (fished plus non-fished) they would be eligible to undertake fishing activities.
   The TACC and quota-managed fishing would commence on 1 March 2020. The first year would be
   a 10-month fishing season and be based on an annual calendar year of fishing after that. The
   TACC would be adjusted over time through a harvest strategy.
8. Introduce tagging of commercially caught mud crabs.
   To support the new ITQ system and help combat the black-marketing of this species, it is proposed
   that all commercially caught mud crabs that are presented for sale without a tag would be
   considered to have been taken illegally. The cost of tags would be covered by the ITQ unit fee.
   Commercial fishers would be required to attach a tag to all retained crabs in a manner prescribed
   by the Chief Executive prior to leaving the water. An operational guideline, similar to vessel
   tracking, would be released for consultation at the end of 2019. Tagging would commence on
   1 March 2020 to coincide with the commencement of the new quota management system.
9. Increase the number of pots allowed in offshore waters in the blue swimmer crab fishery.
   It is proposed that commercial fishers would be permitted to use up to 150 pots in the offshore blue
   swimmer crab fishery if they have three C1 fishery symbols on their licence. Blue swimmer crab
   ITQ units would be required to fish. Offshore waters would be defined as:
       outside the existing Moreton Bay trawl area (M2) (i.e. outside a line from Skirmish Point, Bribie
        Island, to Comboyuro Point and Moreton Island)
       outside a line from Burrum Point to the fairway buoy and across to Moon Point on Fraser
        Island
       all other waters beyond 3 nautical miles of the mainland shore, or the shore of an island.
10. Clarify the take period for blue swimmer crab caught in the East Coast Trawl Fishery
    (Moreton Bay).
    Clarify the take of crabs by Trawl in Moreton Bay (M1, M2 or T5) to a day limit of 100 crabs for
    each continuous period of fishing of 24 hours, or part of 24 hours. The existing trip limit of 500 for
    each continuous period of fishing of 7 days would remain for all other trawl operations (i.e. T1, T2,
    T6, T7, T8 or T9). These limits cap the trawl harvest of blue swimmer crabs to approximately 10%
    of the total blue swimmer harvest. As the TACC for blue swimmer crab adjusts over time in line
    with the harvest strategy, these trip limits would also be adjusted.
11. Prohibit the use of net apparatus to take crab.
    Currently, crabs can be retained if incidentally caught when using netting apparatus. It is proposed
    to only permit the take of crab by pot for mud crabs, dilly for spanner crabs, or pot and trawl gear
    for blue swimmer crab. These measures are being introduced as crabs have a high survival rate
    when released, and to support the implementation of the quota system for these species.




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