New rules protect fish stocks and reduce conflict

[jaybee]

Premier & Trade The Hon. Peter Beattie MP 17 August 2003

New Queensland fisheries regulations will protect stocks of blue swimmer crabs and iconic fish species such as Spanish mackerel.

Premier Peter Beattie and Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said today the regulations, approved by Cabinet on Monday and subject to Executive Council agreement, would also reduce conflict between commercial and recreational fishers at popular fishing spots.

"The new regulations, which start taking effect next month, are wide-ranging and essential for the future sustainable management of Queensland's fisheries," Mr Beattie said.

"Henry Palaszczuk and I released a range of proposals for public comment in May.

"During a month of public consultation, the Government received about 1500 response forms and 6000 form letters, and most of them supported our aim of ensuring future Queenslanders enjoy the benefits of sustainable fisheries.

"We want Queensland to remain an angler's paradise, and to remain famous for fresh, delicious and healthy seafood.

"The commercial catch of Spanish mackerel will effectively be capped at 620 tonnes. Operators with a history in the fishery will be eligible for a quota - which means about 250 licensees are likely to be eligible," Mr Beattie said.

"All Spanish mackerel caught by commercial fishers will need to be reported and tagged."

"The recreational in-possession limit for Spanish mackerel will be reduced from 10 to three.

"These are proactive reforms to protect Spanish mackerel from anticipated shifts in commercial fishing patterns, which may follow reforms to coral reef fin fish management, which are currently being considered.

"The Spanish mackerel changes will be reviewed every two years," Mr Beattie said.

There will also be a new way of measuring blue swimmer crabs (sand crabs). This will deter "tipping" of crabs to make them fit the current tip-to-tip measurement.

Mr Palaszczuk said: "Tipping is a practice where fishers deliberately damage undersized crabs so they can keep them. Fishers have been bending the rules and we want to stop it.

"To end this practice, we will replace the current 15cm tip-to-tip minimum size limit with an 11.5cm notch-to-notch. A review of this measure will be conducted after 12 months."

There will be commercial netting closures at Fraser Island and other fishing conflict 'hot spots', where tensions between recreational and commercial anglers have been brewing for years.

Mr Beattie said: "The measures at Fraser Island and other hot spots - such as Baffle Creek, Cylinder Beach (North Stradbroke Island), and the Fitzroy River - are essential and sensible.

"We want sustainable fisheries and harmony among people who make their living, or gain enjoyment, from fishing."

Commercial netting will be prohibited on most of the eastern side of Fraser Island. Additionally, tailor netting will be excluded from the island, however, to ensure a supply of locally caught tailor, netting in the waters of the Great Sandy Strait (which is adjacent to Fraser Island).will be allowed to continue.

Commercial nets will be banned from the northern beaches of North Stradbroke Island between 20 September and 1 April each year.

Trawl nets will be prohibited in Baffle Creek near Bundaberg, while the weekend commercial fishing closures on the Fitzroy River at Rockhampton have been extended.

Commercial netting will be prohibited above the lake system on the Kirke River on Cape York.

Mr Palaszczuk said the unauthorised removal or destruction of, or damage to marine plants protected under legislation would be upgraded to a "serious fisheries offences".

"While the legislation provides for penalties of up to $225,000, fines rarely exceed $500," he said.

A full list of the fisheries reforms is attached.

Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3239 3004

[jaybee]

Fisheries Reforms
Blue swimmer crabs
- Replace the current 15 cm "tip-to-tip" measure for blue swimmer crabs, which has enabled fishers to take slightly undersized crabs if one or both "tips" were damaged or removed by allowing fishers to use an under body measurement. Tipping is a practice where fishers deliberately damage undersized crabs so they can retain them;
- Introduce a "notch-to-notch" measurement - the"distance measured from a point immediately forward of the base of the large lateral spine on one side of the crab to a point immediately forward of the base of the large lateral spine on the other side of the crab";
- Reduce the minimum legal size limit to 11.5cm as a "notch-to-notch" measurement with a review to be conducted 12 months after introduction.
- The measures are due to commence in December 2003.

Spanish Mackerel
- Introduce new regulations for the commercial and recreational catch of Spanish mackerel to ensure any effort shift as a result of coral reef fin fish management arrangements do not jeopardise the fishery;
Commercial:
- Limit the number of commercial licences eligible to take Spanish mackerel on the Queensland east coast to those endorsed with a L1, L2, L3, L6, L7 or L8 fishery symbol which can demonstrate a history of equal to or greater than 500 kg of line caught Spanish mackerel in the two years between 1998 - 2002. The restriction on the number of commercial licences commences on 1 February 2004;
- Set a total allowable catch for the commercial fishery of approximately 620 tonnes with individual transferable quotas to be issued to licences qualifying for a SM fishery symbol. The proposed base allocation is 500 SM units per licence. Additional units will be issued based on catch history in the years 1998- 2002;
- Require commercial operators to report their catch before landing to ensure the quota can be effectively monitored. Systems of landing dockets, logbook returns and buyer returns are also proposed. Details to be developed with industry for introduction on 1 July 2004;
- Require all commercial caught Spanish mackerel to be tagged and the tag to be retained with the fish until the consumer purchases it. Details to be developed with industry for introduction on 1 July 2004;and
- Review the quota and catch-sharing arrangements, based on stock assessments, every two years.
Recreational:
- Reduce the possession limit from 10 to three. The measure to commence in December 2003.

Teraglin-jew
- Reduce the minimum size limit for Teraglin-jew from 45cm to 38cm. Teraglin-jew is a deepwater rocky-reef fin fish that suffers extremely high mortality when caught and brought to the surface. A recreational bag limit of five applies. Available information indicates that a reduction in the minimum legal size would almost completely reduce this incidental wastage of fish by allowing fishers to keep the fish they catch. These measures to commence on 20 September.

Redclaw Crayfish
- Remove Lake Tinaroo from the list of areas where live redclaw crayfish can be used as bait. Use of live redclaw as bait is prohibited elsewhere as it could contribute to the introduction of the species to waters where it is not native. Lake Tinaroo is currently listed as a location where live redclaw can be used; however, this lake is outside the natural range of the species. This measure to commence on 20 September 2003.

Closures
Netting on Fraser Island
- Prohibit the commerical catch of tailor within 200 metres of the shore of the whole of Fraser Island except for part of the western shore between Sandy Point and Hook Point, thereby premitting the continued take of tailor by mesh netters in the Great Sandy Strait. This measure is to commence from 20 September; and
- Prohibit the use of all nets within 200 metres out to sea from the shore at low water between Tooloora Creek and the northern end of Ngkala Rocks. The proposed closure would apply from 1 April to 1 September.

[jaybee]

Part 3
Beam trawling in Baffle Creek (Bundaberg region)
- Close Baffle Creek near Bundaberg to trawl nets. Up to eight operators are licensed for beam trawling in Baffle Creek. No new licences have been issued since 1979. There is a sunset clasuse on all these licences. The closure will take effect from 20 September.

Netting in the Fitzroy River (Rockhampton region)
Extend the current closures to prohibit the commercial nets on weekends by increasing the area covered by the upstream closures towards the mouth of the River to the "breakthrough". Central Queensland was originally excluded from weekend netting closures that operate along the State's east coast south of Cooktown. Currently, a weekend ban on commercial fishing nets applies at the Fitzroy River mouth and upstream of Lakes Creek meatworks. The closure will take effect from 20 September.

Netting on Cylinder Beach (North Stradbroke Island)
- Introduce a commercial netting closure at northern beaches of North Stradbroke Island from 20 September to 1 April each year. The closure area would be bounded by waters within 200m out to sea at low water between North Gorge (southern end of Frenchman's Beach) and Adder Rock. It would include Home Beach, Cylinder Beach, Deadman's Beach and Frenchman's Beach. The closure wil take effect from 20 September.

Kirke River (Gulf of Carpentaria)
- Prohibit commercial netting for finfish from waters in the Kirke River above the lake system. Net fishing is currently permitted in parts of the Kirke River, which has caused conflict between commercial net fishers and traditional owners.

Trawl fishery
Boat Replacement
- Introduce "reduced effort unit" surrender regime for trawl licence holders forced to replace their vessel that has been permanently lost due to an incident such as sinking, fire or theft. Trawl licence holders must surrender a significant number of 'effort units' (that equate to fishing days) when they replace or upgrade a vessel to meet legislated targets for effort reduction. This can cause severe hardship when a licence holder is forced to replace a vessel.

Closures - Scallop Ranching
- Include two new closed waters provisions for the trawl fishery in the Hervey Bay region for the purposes of a scallop ranching trial. A company, Queensland Sea Scallops Limited, has been granted an aquaculture licence covering two limited areas of 25 square kilometre areas within Hervey Bay with the aim of developing a commercial scallop ranching business. The measure is to commence from 20 September.

Bycatch Reduction Devices
- Define the specific Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) that must be used throughout the fishery and where in a trawl net it should be fitted. BRDs were incrementally introduced into the trawl fishery between 1999 and 2002 to reduce the incidental catch of non-target trawl species.

Scallop Replenishment Areas
- Amend the operation of the Bustard Head and Hervey Bay Scallop Replenishment Areas so each consists of two 10 nautical miles by 10 nautical miles areas that are open for nine months and closed for 15 months. The current rotational system is complicated and causes some loss to the fishery due to the extended period that the areas are closed. This would simplify rotation and reduce the loss to the commercial fishery. The amendment will take effect from 20 September.

Undersized scallops
- Amend the provisions within the trawl management plan that deal with the determination of the proportion of undersized scallops to allow the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol to determine, with 95% certainty, the proportion of scallops that are below minimum size limit without having to undertake a complete count.

Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
- Include a new exemption from the use of fishing days under the trawl management plan for fishing gear trials. The conditions are that the Queensland Fisheries Service is advised 24 hours prior of the time and location of the testing, the net cod ends are open and no fish are taken.
- Prescribe conditions under which a trawl licence holder can obtain permission to turn off or disconnect their VMS unit for a non-fishing exemption as being incapable of fishing. The proposed conditions include the removal of all trawl nets from the boat, removal of the boat from the water, the boat being outside of Queensland managed waters for stated maintenance reasons.

Balmain Bugs
- Prohibit the possession of processed Balmain bugs aboard commercial fishing vessels.

Calculating Trawl Hull Units
- Clarify the rounding policy used when the Queensland Fisheries Service is calculating the number of hull units to measure the underdeck volume of a trawler. The calculation of hull units is extremely important in the trawl fishery as it is the basis of determining how many effort units are required by a particular vessel to make up one fishing day.

Tender Vessels
- Allow the use of a tender boat as a substitute for a primary boat without the use of VMS for purposes other than trawling. This measure is to commence from 1 December.

Closure boundaries
Logan River
- Define the mouth of the Logan River as one of the T5 beam trawl boundaries. T5 licence holders can fish upstream of the mouth. Due to the position of island and sand banks in the general area, there has been some confusion regarding the exact location of the mouth.

Hinchinbrook Channel
- Clarify the boundary for the commercial netting closure for all nets except set nets in the Hinchinbrook Channel, which refers to Mangrove Island.

Ocean beach net fishery
Priority of Shot
- Require operators to mark their intended fishing area via the use of an orange flag on the beach to reduce conflict between commercial fishers regarding who has priority for shooting a net over given area of beach. The measure is to commence on 1 November.

Spanner crab fishery
Restriction on apparatus
- Introduce an in-possession limit of 50 on spanner crab dillies in managed area A, and 35 in managed area B.

Prohibit use of double mesh net in dillies
- Prohibit the use of double mesh net in dillies as it makes removing undersized crabs more difficult and can increase mortality among discarded crabs. Commercial fishers are currently allowed to use double mesh net in dillies as long as the mesh size of the net is at least 51 millimetres.

Commercial vessel markings
- Legislate the requirements for the marking of commercial boats to include the regulations of the size, location and format of the required markings as specified by the Queensland Fisheries Service; and
- Increase the size of the boat mark on commercial fishing boats less than 6m.

Offences
Use of commercial fishing boats for recreational fishing
- Introduce an offence for a person to use a commercial fishing boat for recreational fishing if the boat's mark is covered or removed. Currently commercial fishing boats may be used for recreational fishing, provided the fisher covers the vessel's boat mark. This provision was originally introduced to reduce potential conflict between recreational and commercial fishers as it clearly indicates that the fisher is not taking fish commercially. However, this meant the boats could not be identified for surveillance and enforcement purposes.

Marine Habitat
- Include the unauthorised removal, destruction or damage to marine plants protected under legislation to be "serious fisheries offences". While the legislation provides for penalties of up to $225,000, fines rarely exceed $500.

[Lucky_Phill]

Shoot JB, did I have to read all that ?

Well I did. :P ;)

Comon' Joseph, admit it, the Govt is trying to do some good !

My only beef at the moment, is that the Tailor Commercial Fishery is worth zip and not viable, and in fact, I don't think there is many netters out there who will target the Tailor. What you'll find is that the netters are targeting Mullet and in the shot, they'll get Tailor as a by-catch.

Spanish down to 3......3 at 10kg would be a good day, no ?

About time the measurements for Sandies went this way as well. Far too many tipped crabs for sale.
Henry, asked me the other day...week...month... shoot , time flies, what my thoughts were on Tipped Crabs, and I said, if a crab has a tip off it's illegal, full stop, end of story.

The banning of estuary netting to our north is just the start. I believe we'll follow NSW in virtually stopping ALL estuary netting.

Now all we have to do is stop those Minke Whales farting and putting big holes in the Ozone Layer. ??? ::) :P ;D ;D ;D

Cheers Phill 8)

[banshee]

Wouldn't it be easier to measure crabs front to back like we do here(Mexico)?

[jaybee]

Lucky Phil
Comon' Joseph, admit it, the Govt is trying to do some good Okay I admit it, however I still retain the right to be cynical ;D Someone once told me beleive none of what you hear and only half of what you see.
cheers
Joe.

[bugman]

Fellas,

It's a good start but there's much further to go here gentlemen.

Phil I'm sorry but I'll have to disagree.

"My only beef at the moment, is that the Tailor Commercial Fishery is worth zip and not viable, and in fact, I don't think there is many netters out there who will target the Tailor. What you'll find is that the netters are targeting Mullet and in the shot, they'll get Tailor as a by-catch."

You obviously haven't been to Straddie lately. Check out Nugget's fishing report. If the netter have got a choice between mullet and tailor they'll hit mullet - but sitting down the beach with all their gear and no mullet means it's open season on tailor. Multiple tonnes at a time.

They have closed Fraser for "perception's sake" let's hope the "perception" extends further south in the next few years.

I think the Spaniard rule will affect the boys up north a lot more than those in the souther half of Qld. If only I could catch 3 Spaniards in a trip. The rule on Trag Jew is just plain commonsense - the mortality rate was almost 90% on returned fish.

Now all we have to see is a bit more enforcement.

Bugman

[Gazza]

I'll give them a "plus" for on the surface , a genuine effort to "address" the various issues........ on both sides?? of the fence

[stilltryin]

Brett,

Does this really mean anything for Baffle Creek???

[Lucky_Phill]

ARRGGGHHH FFAAAKKKK BRETT, you would disagree, BUT, as you said, they would target Mullet , if No Mullet, hit the Tailor. This IS basically what I said. :P :P :P and a double :P :P

Did I see correct, JB ? Yes son, we have had a win. the size of the win depends on your perception.

stilltryin.............ask the Big Fella about the Baffle.

The sooner ALL trawling and set nets are removed from breeding grounds ( read Estuaries ) the better.

Cheers.......Phill ;) ;D ;) 8)

6th & 7th are on Brett 8) ::)

[Kerry]

The 2 sides had some comments on the TV news tonight regarding the closing of the Fitzroy.

Rec's claim the river is fished out and hip hip hooray for the ban.

Pro's aren't happy by a long shot but based on the rec's claim that the river is fished out the pro's say then why not close the river to everybody, now that does make sense.

Rec's not happy about that suggestion (but it was based on their OWN public comments), funny that #;D

As for fished out, yeah sure.

Cheers, Kerry.

[bugman]

Kerry,

Rec fishos just want more and more #;)

The closure of areas like the Fitzroy and Baffle will actually be an interesting litmus test for the claims of rec fishos who say that stock degredation is due, in large part, to commercial fishing. If those areas do see an increase in fish stocks whether it be anecdotally or via statistical research then rec fishos are going to have a powerful case for wider closures for pros.

On the other hand if these areas don't show any signs of improvement then pros will probably have a more powerful case to fish alongside recos wherever they damn please.

That's the time when the two should come together and start tackling the government on things like runoff, habitat protection etc. (I haven't seen the temperatures in hell get down that far yet).

This "evidence" could take 10-15 years to come out. The only anecdotal evidence so far for a decision of this kind is Bribie Passage where it seems most rec fishos are enjoying better catches sinces the removal of pros. But agin anecdotal.

Stilltryin: I'm not overly familier with the situtation on the ground at Baffle - as Phil said - the other Brett is the man (were you refering to me or him - now I wonder). However the ban only applies to beam trawling. Set nets and other commercial fishing practises can remain and I'm not sure how many of them are left.

Phil - I wouldn't argue with you for the sake of it mate - you know that #;) #Good to hear about 6th 7th. I'll be in touch. And just what is the go with that proverb like stuff you have as a tag to your sign-off. Have you been drinking again? ???

Bugman

[Kerry]

Bugman, there's so many variables and considerations in much of this problem that one doesn't really know where to start. The average rec I think realizes the many variables but as always there's the noisy minority that can't see the forest for the trees and rant ban ban ban without consideration with regards anything else past their own ideals.

I suppose if the place is fished out then what the hell are the pro's still there for? Obviously someone is "media fishing".

One problem with any river system on the east coast is the number of dams, wiers and barrages. Literally thousands of the bloody things and all supposedly in the name of progress. Well they don't do a dam thing for fish life, both in the river, the estuaries and the open sea.

The moment a river system gets a decent flood (and these are rare occurances compared to 20-30 years ago) the whole thing comes to life but if a ban coincided with a major flood one can just imagine what some recs would consider the only consideration in the improvement. Flood what flood #;D.


Cheers, Kerry.

[stilltryin]

My reply was for the big fella, I know how much he loves the area.......but will it make any difference.....

[webby]

Hi, It really ere's me when you have a meeting (Crabmac) and the majority of votes go for a measurement of 12 or 12.5.
Now it seems as if these meeting are a F&%$#* waste of time, unless your up some polititions arse.
Batten down the hatches for the next meeting, as Bill Corten and Myself are surely going to let S%$# fly.

Where any recommendation put forward, and passed by a majority vote by the elected committee are adhered to, instead of being shafted around the oval table.
Henry you've just upset the apple cart my boy.
Stay tuned.
regards

[jaybee]

Webby Government is like that, never let the left hand know what the right is doing. Or is it don't believe half of what you see and none of what you hear, now you know why i am a cyncial bathtub when it comes to the government.
cheers
joe.

[bugman]

Webby,

It swings in roundabouts. The Finfish MAC voted not to put a ban on the netting of spotty mackeral they also voted for pros to be exempt from the 40-60cm rule on flathead.

Both of those were ignored by the government and both of those - you could argue - have a benefit for the rec fisher.

I agree with your comment about - what's the use of having a MAC if it's not listended to. A lot of members on my MAC wanted out after that one but have been convinced to stay.

I guess government listens to 95% of what the MACs say but if they've got an agenda they'll do as they please. It's really government in action.

The trick is to make sure the things you really want get put into the 95%. It's a political game. I'm not saying it's a good game but it's the game they play.

Brett