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

   Each effort unit would entitle the holder to fish in the relevant management area until the TACE is
   reached. There is no change to the annual effort unit administration fee (currently $0.3934 per unit)
   for the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery.
   The TACE and reallocation of effort unit would commence on 1 January 2020, with the existing
   fishing season arrangements to continue. The TACE would be adjusted over time through a
   harvest strategy.
15. Transition Moreton Bay (M2) fishers to an effort unit system similar to the rest of the trawl
    fishery and establish a separate total allowable commercial effort (TACE) for Moreton Bay
    (applying to M1/T1 and M2 fishers).
    The TACE would be adjusted up and down in accordance with a harvest strategy:
    a. It is proposed that the defined area of the M1/M2 fishery be expanded to include the restricted
       T1 waters in the Comboyuro Point to Caloundra Head area. This expansion is intended to
       create a single management area where the current 32.5 metre net length restriction would
       apply. The existing M1/M2 plus the Comboyuro Point to Caloundra Head area would be the
       Moreton Bay Management Area.
    b. Establish a new ‘Moreton Bay effort unit’ for M1/M2 fishers and limit the allocation to a
       maximum of 8,535 units (based on 80% of the current MSY estimate) to minimise the risk of
       ‘unused effort units’ as the fishery moves to MEY in the future.
    c. Allocate 50% of the effort units (4,267 units) to M2 licence holders based on an equal split.
       Each M2 holder would receive approximately 178 nights which is above the current level of
       fishing but recognises that upgrades to boats would drive down the number of nights available
       given the hull unit conversion factor.
    d. Allocate effort units to M1/T1 fishers based on a base allocation of 50 nights plus proportional
       history in Moreton Bay. The amount of Moreton Bay effort units allocated would not be greater
       than an individual’s East Coast Effort Unit (ECEU) holdings (i.e. if a fisher holds 100 ECEU the
       maximum allocation would be 100 Moreton Bay Effort Units based on the sum of the base
       allocation and their history). The average allocation for M1 holders is 90 nights and aligns with
       their historical reliance on this area to fish.
    e. Establish an effort cap (TACE) for Moreton Bay that would apply to both M1 and M2 fishers
       who fish in Moreton Bay. The Moreton Bay Harvest Strategy Workshop recommended the
       TACE be set based on MSY initially, as the allocation is below MSY a conversion factor of
       approximately 0.8 would apply.
   Note: Fishers are reminded that an investment warning is in place for all Queensland fisheries.
   The existing annual effort unit administration fee for the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery of $0.3934
   per unit would apply to the new effort units for Moreton Bay (M2). The TACE and new effort unit
   management would commence on 1 March 2020. The first year would be a 10-month fishing
   season and would be based on an annual calendar year of fishing after that.




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