THE Queensland Government has delivered on a key plank of its 10-year, $20 million Sustainable Fisheries Strategy with the passage of new legislation in Parliament recently.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the Fisheries (Sustainable Fisheries) Bill made real changes in fisheries management possible for the first time. “These changes are a critical step in providing the legacy of a sustainable fishery for our children and grandchildren and protecting jobs in our commercial and recreational fishing industries,” Mr Furner said. “More compliance officers are patrolling our waters and black marketers are being shut down as part of the most sweeping reforms of Queensland’s fishing sector in our state’s history. We’re cracking down on black marketing and pushing forward with greater recognition of recreational, commercial and indigenous fishing interests.”
- Modernise the objectives of the Fisheries Act and recognise the interests of key stakeholder groups;
- Clarify the roles of the Fisheries Minister and the chief executive in the management of the State’s fisheries to allow for more responsive decision-making through the use of harvest strategies;
- Strengthen the enforcement powers and penalties to address serious fisheries offences such as black marketing; and
- Reduce complexity and remove redundant provisions.