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

                                     PRECIS OF OTHER SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

The Initial Findings Working Paper presented to Council in February provided some insights into examples of
fisheries management reforms undertaken in other jurisdictions around Australia. This is a precis of those
options.

                                                   CASE STUDY ONE - INTRODUCTION of NET FREE ZONES

The Queensland Government introduced net-free fishing zones in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton on 1st
November 2015. At the time of introduction, the government said, “the net-free fishing zones will increase
recreational fishing opportunities in Queensland, thereby supporting tourism and economic growth. By
recognising the total value of spending by recreational fishers, the net-free fishing zones improve the potential
for fishing-based tourism in our regional areas”. The net free zones were opposed by the commercial sector
but well supported by the recreational fishing sector. The net-free zones exclude the use of any commercial
nets by commercial fishers, including for the purpose of collecting bait for personal use. Activities allowed in
the net-free zones includes commercial crabbing, line fishing and trawling where it was permitted previously
and recreational fishers can use cast nets and bait nets where they were permitted previously, as long as these
nets are lawful and comply with current length and mesh size restrictions.

To assist commercial fishers adjust to the changes, a Structured Buyback Scheme for commercial fishing boat
licence holders who were directly affected by the net-free zones was established and has now been completed.
This scheme was established in 2015. The Buyback Scheme was targeted at the holders of the commercial
fishing boat licences used in the zones between 2012 and 2014. The scheme sought to buy back up to 46
licences voluntarily to minimise commercial fishing effort moving into other areas or other fisheries (displaced
effort). Twenty-seven offers were received at a cost of $3,318M. This equates to an average payment of
$122,888 per license holder. A voluntary Licence Buyback Scheme was also available to holders of a
commercial fishing vessel licence that had recorded net fishing effort in one or more of the Zones in the period
between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014. To reduce the possibility of displaced fishing effort, the
voluntary buyback scheme aimed to remove 46 commercial fishing vessel licences of the total of 78
commercial fishing vessel licences that were eligible for the scheme. Licence holders were offered a fixed price
for the entire licence package. The value of the offer varied from licence to licence depending on the fishery
symbols attached to the licence.

The remaining 2 schemes, the Settlement Scheme and the Impact Alleviation Scheme, were targeted at
impacted commercial fishers who were offered a cash payment based on the level of commercial netting
undertaken in each of the zones. There were 95 fishers eligible for the Settlement Scheme, and 87 fishers chose
to accept the offer at a total cost $1.026M. This equates to an average payment to commercial fishers of
$11,793 each. The Settlement Scheme was available to commercial fishers who had been in control of a
licensed commercial fishing boat that undertook commercial net fishing within one or more the Zones. To be
eligible for the settlement scheme evidence had to be provided, in the form of commercial logbooks, that
demonstrated that the fisher was in charge of a commercial vessel operating in the Zones between 1 January
2012 and 31 December 2014. Fishers were offered a set amount based on a formula which used the number of
days they had fished in the Zones between 2012 and 2014 and a daily rate. There were 30 fishers eligible for
the Impact Alleviation Scheme and all fishers chose to accept the offer made at a total cost of $1.5M. This
equates to an average payment of $50,000 per fisher. The Impact Alleviation Scheme was available to
commercial fishers most impacted as a result of the introduction of the Zones. Fishers who had recorded at
least 60 days net fishing effort in the Zones (as recorded in logbooks received before 1 April 2015) and where
that effort was at least 50% of their total net fishing effort were eligible for payments under this scheme.

NOTE: Fisheries Queensland have noted that post the buy-out scheme being completed, the noticeable
changes in the sector are the departure of some commercial fishers from the sector resulting in the catch effort
days is down from levels prior to the scheme however the overall fishing effort has remained steady.
Importantly, the effort has moved to other coastal waters now there is no net fishing allowed in the NFZs. Early
indications are some of this effort has shifted to the areas adjacent to the NFZs.
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