Net-free fishing zones

Net-free zones 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).

Activities prohibited

Commercial fishers cannot:

• use commercial nets (including to collect bait for personal use) in the net-free zones
• operate under any of these fishing symbols
• N10: Net fishery (east coast—no. 4)
• N11: Net fishery (no. 11)
• 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).