- The Queensland Government's decision to introduce electronic monitoring cameras in the trawl fishery is a welcome and long-overdue step toward transparency in the state's largest commercial fishery.
- Electronic monitoring is essential in a high-risk fishery operating in and alongside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, where interactions with threatened species have been widely under-reported for decades.
- However, delays in the rollout and uncertainty regarding footage review fall short of scientific standards and World Heritage expectations, risking the effectiveness of the program.
The Queensland Government has today announced plans to introduce electronic monitoring cameras across the state's trawl fishery, a move welcomed as a long-overdue step toward improving transparency and sustainability in Queensland's largest commercial fishery.
Electronic monitoring cameras are a vital tool for understanding the true impacts of trawl fishing on threatened species and for demonstrating the sustainability credentials of a fishery operating in and alongside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
The Queensland trawl fishery is the state's largest commercial fishery and operates in areas where interactions with threatened species like sawfish and sea snakes are known to occur. Independent monitoring is critical to ensure accurate reporting and effective management, while providing vital transparency for fisheries managers, scientists and consumers.
While the decision to introduce cameras is a positive step, the success of the program will depend on effective implementation.
AMCS Great Barrier Reef Fisheries Campaign Manager Simon Miller said the Government's commitments to deliver electronic monitoring of the trawl fleet was welcome, but key elements of the plan fell short.
"Electronic monitoring cameras will be vital to demonstrate the impact and sustainability credentials of Queensland's biggest fishery," Mr Miller said.
"For decades, interactions with threatened species such as sawfish and sea snakes have been widely considered to be significantly under-reported in the Queensland trawl fishery. At the moment, there is not enough independent data to understand the true scale of these interactions or whether stronger management measures are needed to support species recovery.
"The introduction of cameras is already years behind schedule, and the proposed rollout means some boats will not have cameras installed until 2032, delaying the collection of critical data on threatened species interactions. We urge the Queensland Government to prioritise the rollout of cameras and deploy more systems on the most active vessels in the first two years of the program.
"It is also unclear what proportion of the footage collected will be reviewed for threatened species interactions. Scientific evidence shows that an absolute minimum of 20 per cent review is required to produce accurate data on threatened species interactions. The Government must prioritise the development of artificial intelligence to reduce costs and urgently move toward full footage review."
Mr Miller said electronic monitoring systems were already well established in other Australian fisheries.
"Camera systems are not new and have been used in Australian fisheries for more than a decade. They are a proven way to deliver transparency for fisheries managers, scientists and consumers," he said.
"If these shortcomings are not addressed, it risks undermining confidence in the sustainability of the fishery and may place further pressure on the World Heritage status of the Great Barrier Reef."
Background
- The Queensland trawl fishery is the state's largest commercial fishery and operates within and adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
- Electronic monitoring uses onboard cameras to independently record fishing activity and interactions with non-target and threatened species.
- UNESCO has repeatedly raised concerns about fisheries management and transparency in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Image: Prawn bottom trawling Paul Hilton Earth Tree Images
