2019-07-18 OM Agenda - Item 1 - Attachment 1 - Noosa Fishing Futures

Some commercial fishers consulted during the stakeholder engagement considered an ITQ would benefit
them significantly more than management via a TACC. However, there is also significant opposition to ITQs
for the key species, based on the lower than expected allocation by Fisheries Queensland as determined by log
book catch records.

POTENTIAL ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS AND BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED
CHANGE

The economic benefits of an ITQ management regime is that it provides the freedom to fish at an optimum
time to maximise economic yield to the commercial fisher. This is less likely to occur under a TACC as the
imperative to fish will be driven by the need to ‘not miss out’ on a catch. This may result in fishing for less return
and identifies some of the key drivers of fisher’s behaviour. An ITQ management regime allocates quota to
individual fishers which infers a type of security of ownership that is not currently present.

The imperative to fish is in the K8 fishery is by and large driven by the two major seafood processors who are
active in the Noosa North Shore (NNS) during the peak catch period in June and July. They employ crews
stationed on the Noosa North Shore and all efforts are applied to fish during this period when the spawning
mullet are present. Advice from local commercial fishers is they receive between $2 and $4/kg for the whole
mullet. This is known as the beach price and it can influence the price for the entire mullet fishery.

The processors follow the fishery in its migratory path north so in effect are catching fish from northern NSW
well up the Queensland coast as far north as Fraser Island. Local K8 fishers will often fish for the processors
and ‘team up’ with their crews to fish the NNS. The introduction of an ITQ management arrangement would
likely be a significant driver of behavioural change in the fishery.

Additional benefits to an ITQ management regime is that changed patterns of behaviour will reduce the
likelihood of conflict between stakeholders. Feedback from local stakeholders and commercial fishers suggest
the behaviour of some of the crews on the beach has been less than what the community would expect at
times, with conflict between the crews over priority of shot issues. The community would welcome improved
rules and management arrangements that address this issue.

Noosa Council’s submission to the Queensland Fisheries Management Review in 2014 first noted the conflict
issues in the Ocean Beach Net Fishery targeting mullet. The Noosa North Shore (NNS) is part of the Cooloola
Recreation Area and is easily accessed by locals and visitors for recreational purposes by day trippers, beach
campers and recreational fishers.

Appropriate harvest strategy management arrangements for the mullet fishery that are based on the
principles of science and sustainability of the stock with an ITQ that is set at realistic levels would be supported
by many local N1 fishers however this support may not be universal among stakeholders.




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