Commercial harvest fishery licence

About the commercial harvest fishery licence

You will need a Queensland commercial harvest fishery licence to take species that are primarily collected by hand or by using handheld implements.

No new (additional) licences are issued for existing fisheries, but you can buy or lease licences from an existing operator.

Transfer a commercial harvest fishery licence

To transfer a licence, both the owner (transferor) of the licence and proposed new owner (transferee) must submit a register transfer of commercial harvest fishery licence (PDF, 145KB) application to Fisheries Queensland.

Note: you cannot transfer a commercial harvest fishery licence that has an adult eel fishery symbol (E).

Temporarily transfer a commercial harvest fishery licence

You can arrange to temporarily transfer a harvest licence through Fisheries Queensland by submitting a register temporary transfer of commercial harvest fishery licence (PDF, 348KB) application.

Note: you cannot temporarily transfer a commercial harvest fishery licence that has an adult eel fishery symbol (E).

Move fishery symbols

You can permanently move commercial harvest fishery symbols between commercial harvest fishery licences and commercial fishing boat licences. However, you cannot temporarily move symbols.

Note: you cannot move an eel fishery symbol (E) between licences.

Third-party interests

If there is a third-party interest recorded against a harvest licence, or fishery symbol, their permission to transfer the licence, or move the symbol, is also needed.

Stamp duty

You may have to pay Queensland stamp duty. Contact the Office of State Revenue for more information.

Amend a commercial harvest fishery licence

You will need to amend you licence if you want to change either:

• the boat recorded on your licence
• the quota recorded in the conditions (by decreasing the quota on one licence and increasing the quota by the same amount on another licence).

Submit an authority amendment request (PDF, 89KB) application to Fisheries Queensland for each licence amendment.