Lucky_Phill
11-03-2012, 08:56 AM
8 March 2012
The Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA), Sunfish Queensland (Sunfish), the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) and WWF – Australia (WWF) have come together in unity and support to collaborate on an issue of great importance to the environment of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland’s regional economy and the seafood industry and the nearly one million Queenslanders who wet a line recreationally fishing each year.
Commercial net fishing occurs throughout Queensland waters. Of interest to the parties here is the large mesh and gill netting component of the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery, which operates from the Queensland border north to Cape York. The commercial fishing endorsement for these fishers is the N1 and N2 symbols.
Management arrangements for this fishery are complex, with complicated interdependencies on various management measures, including net fishing closures, mesh sizes, net lengths, licence symbols, commercial quota, size limits, closed seasons, Dugong Protection Areas A and B, all overlaid with Great Barrier Reef and Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Straits Marine Parks’ zoning arrangements.
Understanding the difficulty government’s face in reforming Queensland’s fisheries, QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF have come together and agreed on four key issues to focus the attention of all political parties of those issues where there is common ground.
QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF all agree that this fishery is the key commercial sector requiring rationalisation, investment and reform in Queensland. There are too many commercial licences issued, leading to excessive effort capacity and little room for those fishers who view their future in net fishing able to demonstrate stewardship. The fish species are targeted by many recreational fishers and often in the same locations as those in the commercial sector leading to conflict over the resource. Despite many management interventions over the years, there are still dugongs, turtles and dolphins caught in nets in waters of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF all agree that the commercial net fishery needs to be rationalised through the removal of half the net endorsements on the East Coast of Queensland (N1 and N2 symbols). It is proposed that this is undertaken through a voluntary tender process that considers effort history.
The parties agree that a budget of around $6-9M is necessary for this reform. This amount would ensure the adequate removal of N1 and N2 symbols at a fair and equitable price. It would also provide some compensation for closures in important recreational fishing locations and areas of high conservation value to protect species of conservation interest.
Ultimately, the parties agree that the fishery governance needs to move towards finer spatial scale management, through regionalised arrangements. This will need to be coupled with appropriate and properly resourced state-wide consultation processes, which meet the needs of all stakeholders. Further measures to increase protection for species of conservation interest and address localised conflict between the recreational and commercial sector could be addressed through this process.
QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF are confident that if implemented, these proposals would deliver a number of positive outcomes to the environment, economy and to Queenslanders generally, including:
Reduced conflict within the commercial sector that has previously discouraged rationalised stewardship;
Positive conservation outcomes for dugongs, turtles and inshore dolphins, whose reliance on the Great Barrier Reef warrants its World Heritage Area status;
Increased recreational fishing opportunities;
Decreased conflict over iconic Queensland fisheries species and more harmonious relationships between the sectors;
Greater resource security for recreational fishers;
Greater access security for the those Queenslanders who rely on commercial fishers to harvest their seafood; and
Improved business security for commercial net fishers, and the upstream businesses that market their products.
Please do not hesitate to contact Nick Heath, Queensland Office Manager, WWF-Australia, on 041 888 5324 or any of the undersigned if you require further information.
Yours sincerely
Sunfish Qld.
The Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA), Sunfish Queensland (Sunfish), the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) and WWF – Australia (WWF) have come together in unity and support to collaborate on an issue of great importance to the environment of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland’s regional economy and the seafood industry and the nearly one million Queenslanders who wet a line recreationally fishing each year.
Commercial net fishing occurs throughout Queensland waters. Of interest to the parties here is the large mesh and gill netting component of the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery, which operates from the Queensland border north to Cape York. The commercial fishing endorsement for these fishers is the N1 and N2 symbols.
Management arrangements for this fishery are complex, with complicated interdependencies on various management measures, including net fishing closures, mesh sizes, net lengths, licence symbols, commercial quota, size limits, closed seasons, Dugong Protection Areas A and B, all overlaid with Great Barrier Reef and Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Straits Marine Parks’ zoning arrangements.
Understanding the difficulty government’s face in reforming Queensland’s fisheries, QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF have come together and agreed on four key issues to focus the attention of all political parties of those issues where there is common ground.
QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF all agree that this fishery is the key commercial sector requiring rationalisation, investment and reform in Queensland. There are too many commercial licences issued, leading to excessive effort capacity and little room for those fishers who view their future in net fishing able to demonstrate stewardship. The fish species are targeted by many recreational fishers and often in the same locations as those in the commercial sector leading to conflict over the resource. Despite many management interventions over the years, there are still dugongs, turtles and dolphins caught in nets in waters of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF all agree that the commercial net fishery needs to be rationalised through the removal of half the net endorsements on the East Coast of Queensland (N1 and N2 symbols). It is proposed that this is undertaken through a voluntary tender process that considers effort history.
The parties agree that a budget of around $6-9M is necessary for this reform. This amount would ensure the adequate removal of N1 and N2 symbols at a fair and equitable price. It would also provide some compensation for closures in important recreational fishing locations and areas of high conservation value to protect species of conservation interest.
Ultimately, the parties agree that the fishery governance needs to move towards finer spatial scale management, through regionalised arrangements. This will need to be coupled with appropriate and properly resourced state-wide consultation processes, which meet the needs of all stakeholders. Further measures to increase protection for species of conservation interest and address localised conflict between the recreational and commercial sector could be addressed through this process.
QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF are confident that if implemented, these proposals would deliver a number of positive outcomes to the environment, economy and to Queenslanders generally, including:
Reduced conflict within the commercial sector that has previously discouraged rationalised stewardship;
Positive conservation outcomes for dugongs, turtles and inshore dolphins, whose reliance on the Great Barrier Reef warrants its World Heritage Area status;
Increased recreational fishing opportunities;
Decreased conflict over iconic Queensland fisheries species and more harmonious relationships between the sectors;
Greater resource security for recreational fishers;
Greater access security for the those Queenslanders who rely on commercial fishers to harvest their seafood; and
Improved business security for commercial net fishers, and the upstream businesses that market their products.
Please do not hesitate to contact Nick Heath, Queensland Office Manager, WWF-Australia, on 041 888 5324 or any of the undersigned if you require further information.
Yours sincerely
Sunfish Qld.