The Queensland Government is now in caretaker mode until after the state election. Minimal updates will be made to this site until after the election results are declared.
Government controls and legislation for harvest fisheries
Management arrangements
Queensland harvest fisheries are managed by Fisheries Queensland (part of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) through:
- the Fisheries Act 1994 and the Fisheries Regulation 2008
- commercial harvest fishery licences (CHFLs) endorsed with the relevant fishery symbols, which may be subject to conditions imposed by Fisheries Queensland. Harvest fishery symbols may also be attached to a commercial fishing boat licence (CFBL).
Other agencies impose additional management arrangements on some of the harvest fisheries:
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (Marine Parks Division) - within Moreton Bay and other state marine parks
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Commercial fishing licences
No new licences or symbols are issued for existing harvest fisheries.
To enter a commercial harvest fishery, you must first obtain the correct licence (CHFL or CFBL) and symbol(s) from an existing operator. Licences can be transferred from person to person and fishery symbols can be transferred from one licence to another licence.
Monitoring and reporting
Commercial fishers have a legal obligation to report information about their fishing activities in a compulsory daily logbook. All harvest fishers must contribute data about their day's catch, the location fished, the gear used and any interactions with species of conservation interest. Fisheries Queensland uses this data to assess and monitor the status of individual species and fisheries in Queensland.
Fisheries legislation
Queensland's harvest fisheries operate in accordance with the Fisheries Act and Regulation. Other relevant legislation includes:
- Last reviewed: 3 Jan 2017
- Last updated: 1 Jan 2016