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

An adjustment package for the 8 fishers who chose to remain license holders in non-net fishery after 1 April
2022 to be paid on 1 April 2022 will receive;

       50% of the assessed market value of the license, in recognition of the reduced utility and earning
        capacity of the license without the authority to use nets; and,
       an allowance of $50,000 to account for the reduced market value of specialised gear given the
        prohibition on netting.

Incentivised payments or increased up-front funding was provided to provide greater recognition and
compensation to fishers if they exit early. This meant that for fishers that did exit early received a more
valuable package or stay in the fishery and continue to earn an income from their license over the remaining 7
years. The increased management mechanisms placed on the recreational sector included a new state wide
recreational catch survey and to expand the Victorian Angler program combined with size, bag and possession
limits. Nets were removed from Port Phillip Bay to improve recreational fishing plus to remove conflict from
the fishery. It was recorded at the time that the percentage of seafood consumed in Victoria that came out of
Port Phillip Bay was 1%.

                                   CASE STUDY THREE – THE BURDEKIN REGIONAL MANAGEMENT TRIAL

In 2010-11 the Queensland Government established a trial of regional co-management in the Burdekin. The
Burdekin Regional Fisheries Management Committee was formed to consider regional fisheries issues. The
committee included recreational fishers, commercial fishers, fish shop owners and government
representatives. The purpose of the trial was to consider how changes to the general fisheries rules may be
introduced to better suit local coastal regions and communities. Effectively introduce a regime of regional co-
management where the responsibilities for sustainable fisheries management are negotiated and shared
between the government, fishers and other groups and stakeholders. This approach recognises that local
people have a greater interest in protecting and fairly allocating resources in their region. After many months
of working through the localised issues with excellent knowledge between the recreational, commercial and
some indigenous fishers being shared a number of proposed changes were put forward to the community for
consideration. This was done in the form of a two-page survey seeking community and stakeholder feedback.
The proposed changes to netting closures were as follows;

       Commercial netting occurs in the lower stretches of the Burdekin River. Species targeted include
        barramundi, blue salmon, king salmon, diamond scale mullet and shark. Commercial netting also
        occurs in the foreshores of Home Hill Beach, targeting the same species and occasionally bream,
        whiting and flathead when in season. The proposal is to close Home Hill Beach to commercial netting,
        but compensate by extending the commercial netting area in the Burdekin River. The proposed
        commercial netting area of the Burdekin River is only lightly fished by recreational fishers. In contrast,
        Home Hill Beach is heavily fished by recreational fishers.

The proposed changes were designed to achieve the following benefits;

       Recreational fishers will enjoy net free fishing in a popular recreational fishing area;
       Commercial fishers will be able to supply a range of fish species to local markets and avoid conflict with
        recreational fishers; and,
       Dugong will have greater levels of protection

The proposed reforms enjoyed wide spread local support however the trial was ultimately not successful in
part due to influences outside of the region.

                               CASE STUDY FOUR – THE MORETON BAY REGIONAL MANAGEMENT TRIAL

The Sustainable Fisheries Strategy commits to piloting regional management in a key location e.g. Moreton
Bay to assess the benefits and limitations of regionally specific management arrangements. Management
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