Vessel tracking of commercial fisheries

Vessel tracking helps to ensure the sustainability of Queensland’s fisheries.

It is required in all major Queensland commercial fisheries and is used for management and compliance purposes.

Monitoring commercial fishing activity allows more informed and responsive management of our fisheries resources, which will benefit commercial operators and regional communities.

This guide outlines the requirements for using vessel tracking on a licensed commercial fishing boat in Queensland, including approved vessel tracking units and the standards that must be followed when installing, operating and maintaining them. It also explains how to manual report if a unit malfunctions at sea, and how to manage effort units (trawl operators).

This guide should be read in conjunction with relevant fisheries legislation – the Fisheries Act 1994, Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019 and Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019.