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

                               Year        Fishing Method Group            Catch (t)

                               2013        Beam trawling                   6.48
                               2014        Beam trawling                   3.68
                               2015        Beam trawling                   2.98
                               2016        Beam trawling                   0.01
                               2017        Beam trawling                   2.13
                               2018        Beam trawling                   10.84

The fishery is a low value fishery. The school prawn is the most common species caught making up a significant
portion (approximately 75%) of the catch. The remainder of the catch is king, banana and tiger prawns. Much
of the catch is sold as bait to local businesses including Sea Queen Marine in Noosa and Tweed Bait in South
Tweed Heads.

Commercial fishers have confirmed prices achieved19 for school prawns averaged between $7 and $12 per
kilogram. In addition to school prawns, the cooked king, banana and tiger prawns that account for up to 25%
of the catch sold for human consumption, have achieved between $15 and $25 per kilogram. The current
market value of a Beam Trawl T5 symbol according to listings available on any of the five major Queensland
fishing brokerage online platforms (based on the dates of inquiry over the four-month period from January to
April in 2019) is low. During this period only one T5 symbol was listed for sale on one the five brokerage sites,
valued at $25,000.

There are 36 T5 symbol holders that have the authority to fish in the Noosa river and waterways (the T5 beam
trawl fishery also includes the Brisbane and Logan Rivers area) however many of these fishers are not active in
the Noosa waterways and may have never been active in the Noosa area. Local commercial fishers have
identified the T5 fishers who have historically fished the Noosa area being no more than eight fishers with as
little as just two being active in recent years. The fishing is open all year. The Fisheries Queensland data shows
that 6 fishers were active in the T5 fishery in 2013, less than 5 in 2014, 6 in 2015 and less than 5 in 2016 and 2017
and 6 in 2018. Where there are less than 5 fishers active in a year, only the aggregated data by method and
region will be identified.

                                                                   COSTS, BENEFITS AND RISKS OF A BUYOUT

A buy out of the Beam Trawl fishery in the Noosa River and waterways would trigger the Queensland
government Fisheries Reallocation Policy. The Fisheries Reallocation Policy is intended to guide decisions
about reallocation of access to fisheries resources. The policy scope includes requests to reallocate access from
one or more fishing sectors to a non-extractive use. A cost-benefit analysis will be used by the Queensland
Government to quantify the benefits to the community of reallocation proposals. Collection of additional data
may be required if existing information is insufficient for such an analysis. In general, analyses will need to be
evidence- based and must provide facts to substantiate any claims. Information supporting the application
must be sufficient to enable a cost-benefit analysis.

The objective of the reallocation proposal would result in an investment of funds to purchase the T5 symbols,
and would only be available to commercial fishers who have recorded catch history in the T5 fishery in the
Noosa River and lakes between the years 2013 and 2018. There are no other fishing sectors that access the T5
fishery so sectoral allocation is not relevant. The size of the fishery is small and operates exclusively for those
commercial fishers with a commercial fishing boat license with a T5 symbol. The area of the T5 Trawl Fishery




19
     Prices quoted are for 2017 and 2018
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