We are working with fishers and other partners on the Great Barrier Reef. This work will help to balance the benefits of fishing with protecting the health of the Reef.
Australia has a long history of looking after our ocean. We are recognised globally for our ocean management. Sustainable fisheries form a part of this.
Fishing on the Reef promotes economic, recreational and cultural wellbeing.
It is important for fishing activities to be safe and sustainable. This protects marine life and habitats. It also ensures we can continue to enjoy the Reef's unique ecosystem.
Impacts of fishing activities can include:
- overfishing, making it hard for a species to recover to sustainable levels
- bycatch, when non-target species are caught and released
- when protected species are accidentally caught or entangled
To protect the Reef, we are taking increased action. This will reduce the impact of commercial fishing activities on the Reef.
The Australian and Queensland Governments are investing up to $185 million out to 2030. This investment aims to deliver sustainable Reef fisheries.
Improving sustainable fisheries and protecting marine life
We are working with Queensland to improve fishing activities. This involves trialling new gears and practices.
This is supporting fishers to move toward new sustainable fishing practices. These practices pose a lower risk to species. It will help to reduce bycatch and interactions with protected species.
Our goal is to ensure there are improved protections for high-risk species. Some species considered to be high-risk include sea snakes, sharks and rays.
Improved fisheries monitoring
Quality monitoring is vital to inform science-based decision making on the Reef. We are supporting the evaluation of innovative fishery monitoring tools.
We have partnered with Fisheries Queensland and industry. We are trialling electronic monitoring on trawl vessels using onboard cameras. The will allow us to collect independent, at-sea fisheries data.
This valuable information will:
- improve our understanding of fishing interactions
- reduce risks to protected marine species
- build confidence in fisheries reporting and public trust in our fisheries products
- improve accountability.
The trial will inform the development of a future program. The program will work with Queensland trawl fisheries operating on the Reef. This will involve using camera systems to monitor and validate protected species interactions.
Grant funding for responsible fishing practices
We are funding the East Coast Otter Trawl Hopper Program. This program aims to enhance the sustainability of prawn trawl operations in Queensland.
The program provides funding support for Queensland fishers to install hoppers on vessels.
Hoppers increase the efficiency of catch processing on vessels. By increasing efficiency, the chance of survival for bycatch improves.
This initiative will help fishers improve catch handling practices. This reduces the impacts of fishing on the environment.
Coral harvest and traceability
We are delivering a traceability system for the Queensland coral harvest fishery. This system is the first of its kind. It will give us greater data on corals that are being harvested.
This data will help to:
- ensure transparency
- improve accountability
- support assessment processes
Improving access to coral harvesting information is critical for our wildlife trade obligations.
