Net-free fishing zones
East Coast
Net-free zones on the east coast are closed to all commercial mesh and seine netting in:
- Trinity Bay (Cairns)
- St Helens Beach – Cape Hillsborough (north of Mackay)
- Capricorn Coast (Yeppoon, Keppel Bay, Fitzroy River and Rockhampton)
- net free north area (waters from Cape Bedford north to Cape York).
Gulf of Carpentaria
New gillnet-free areas in the Gulf of Carpentaria took effect from 17 May 2024.
- Northern Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free area
- Western Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free area
- Norman River gillnet-free area
- Pormpuraaw gillnet-free area
- Topsy Creek gillnet-free area.
Activities prohibited
Commercial fishers cannot:
- use commercial nets (including to collect bait for personal use) in the net-free zones
- except for the net free north area and the Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free areas, in which commercial fishers can collect bait for personal use
- operate under any of these fishing symbols
- N3: Net fishery (Gulf of Carpentaria – no. 1)
- N10: Net fishery (east coast – no. 4)
- N11: Net fishery (no. 11)
- N12: Net fishery (Gulf of Carpentaria – offshore)
- N13: Net fishery (Gulf of Carpentaria – offshore)
- K1: Net fishery (ocean beach area 1)
- K2: Net fishery (ocean beach area 2)
- K3: Net fishery (ocean beach area 3)
- K4: Net fishery (ocean beach area 4)
- K5: Net fishery (ocean beach area 5)
- K6: Net fishery (ocean beach area 6)
- K7: Net fishery (ocean beach area 7)
- K8: Net fishery (ocean beach area 8).
Permitted activities
In areas permitted under legislation:
- commercial fishers can go crabbing, line fishing, hand-harvesting and trawling in net-free zones
- recreational fishers can use cast, seine and scoop nets in net-free zones (nets must be lawful and comply with length and mesh size restrictions).