Commercial fishing management

Fisheries legislation

Fisheries Queensland manages the state's commercial fisheries under specific fisheries legislation, including the Fisheries Act 1994 (PDF, 1MB), Fisheries Regulation 2008 (PDF, 2.7MB) and fishery management plans.

Fisheries management methods

Individual fisheries in Queensland are controlled by a range of basic management methods, including the use of fishery symbols. These management methods protect our fish species, enabling Queensland to have sustainable and commercially viable fish stocks that can be used by the state's commercial fishing industry and recreational fishing sector.

Management methods are developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders, including the fishing industry, fisheries management agencies, research scientists and the general public.

Learn more about basic management methods for Queensland fisheries.

Watch videos on reporting interactions with species of conservation interest (sharks, rays, turtles, sea snakes) and the best ways for handling bycatch.

Fisheries information management

Queensland's commercial fishers are required by law to fill in logbooks with information about their catch and fishing effort. This information includes the species caught, locations fished and the time spent fishing. This data is the primary source of information Fisheries Queensland uses to assess and monitor individual species and fisheries.

Learn more about commercial fishing logbooks.

Vessel monitoring system

Fisheries Queensland uses a vessel monitoring system (VMS) primarily to monitor and assess the position of trawl vessels. This benefits both commercial fishers and Fisheries Queensland.

The benefits to commercial fishing companies range from making more accurate assessments of their business's activity to simplifying catch reporting. Fisheries Queensland benefits by receiving up-to-date effort data and other data sets (such as catch reports), which are used to assess trends in fishing activity.

Learn more about VMS requirements for commercial fishers.

Fisheries management areas

Fishery symbols are crucial to managing commercial fisheries. They represent specific fisheries, which are marked on fishery licences, indicating the fishery (or fisheries) the licence-holder is authorised to operate in.

The symbols represent the target species, the fishing method used and the particular geographical area. The Fisheries Regulation 2008 or management plans outline the exact coordinates and boundary of each fishery.

Learn more about fishery licences and symbols.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) enforces fisheries and boating safety laws through surveillance and inspection. Compliance with laws is necessary to ensure both the safe use of waterways and the sustainability of our fisheries resources.