Latest Sustainable Fisheries Strategy report card delivered

The Palaszczuk Government is getting on with the job of delivering a world-class fisheries management system, ensuring a sustainable fishing industry for years to come.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the annual report on Queensland’s Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027 shows good progress is being made.

“The hallmarks of the Strategy’s third year of implementation were changes to the structure of fisheries legislation and fishing rules across all sectors, including management action to rebuild depleted snapper, pearl perch and scallop stocks,” Mr Furner said.

“In 2019-20, management arrangements for black jewfish continued following the reopening of the fishery on 1 January 2020 and a closure of the east coast black jewfish fishery, including recreational take, in March 2020.

“New management arrangements for snapper and pearl perch also commenced this year, with commercial catch now determined under the total allowable commercial catch for each species and a one month seasonal closure for all fishers to help rebuild these stocks.

“Both the commercial and recreational fishing industries are important contributors to the Queensland economy, and these reforms are an investment in those industries to ensure they can continue for our children and our grandchildren.”

Mr Furner said the Government remains committed to the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy which is the largest reform of our fisheries in Queensland’s history.

“The 33 actions we are delivering across 10 reform areas will safeguard our vitally important fisheries for future generations of Queenslanders,” he said.

“The focus over the next 12 months will be on implementing the announced fishery reforms and regulatory changes to enable harvest strategies to be finalised for the priority crab, trawl, east coast inshore and harvest fisheries.

“Work will then commence on the remaining fisheries, including the Gulf of Carpentaria net and line fisheries, East Coast Spanish mackerel and the southern Rocky Reef line fishery, to move them to management under the new harvest strategy framework.”

Mr Furner said other priorities for Sustainable Fisheries Strategy reforms in the coming year include:

• Continuing to improve engagement and communication with fishing stakeholders in the management of our fisheries;
• Educating fishers about the changes to rules and processes to support the transition to more modern management arrangements; and
• Building effective relationships with all stakeholders to connect them with the management of Queensland’s fisheries and start moving towards co-management models under the new harvest strategies.

“Fisheries Queensland will also continue to innovate, focusing on new technologies and improving data to support effective and sustainable fisheries management,” Mr Furner said.

“There has been a significant investment in delivering and streamlining fisheries stock assessments, that will continue, to realise the benefits of new data, including new biological data, as well as improved recreational and commercial catch and effort data.”

The Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy Year 3 Progress Report is available online at www.fisheries.qld.gov.au.

ENDS

Media contact:          Ron Goodman            0427 781 920