New fisheries regulations in time for spring

September 5, 2019

QUEENSLAND’S new fisheries regulations commenced September 1.

As a result of the consultation on the proposed amendments to the Fisheries Regulation 2008, a number of changes have been made to the structure of fisheries legislation, along with changes to some recreational, charter and commercial fishing rules.

This includes several changes to rebuild snapper, pearl perch and scallop stocks.

These are all considered depleted, with stock levels under the nationally recommended 20 percent biomass level.

Changes for commercial fishers include:

a new annual seasonal closure for snapper and pearl perch from 15 July to August 15;
increasing the size limit of pearl perch from 35cm to 38cm;
new total allowable commercial catch limits of 42 tonnes for snapper and 15 tonnes for pearl perch (there is currently no catch limit on these species);
expanding vessel tracking for remaining commercial fishing boats from January 1, 2020;
extending the winter scallop closure by 1 month to open December 1, 2019;
increasing the number of spanner crab traps from 45 to 75; and
small area closures to protect juvenile prawns in South East Queensland to improve profitability for trawl operators.

Changes for recreational fishers include:

a new annual seasonal closure for snapper and pearl perch from July 15 to August 15;
increasing the size limit of pearl perch from 35cm to 38cm;
removing extended charter catch limits for snapper and pearl perch;
new boat limits for mud crab, prawns, snapper, black jewfish, barramundi, Spanish mackerel, shark, tropical rock lobster and sea cucumber, which hold the operator of the boat responsible for ensuring no more than two times the possession limit of these nine priority black-market species is on board at any time (the boat limit does not apply to charter boats);
general possession limit of 20 fish for species without a prescribed possession limit, excluding some bait species;
reducing the mud crab possession limit from 10 to seven; and
reducing pipi and mollusc limits from 50 to 30.

These changes are designed to ensure fish for the future – for more information, you can read more on fisheries.qld.gov.au