Facing Fisheries Challenges Head On

10 September, 2002

Hard decisions are being made to ensure future generations of Queenslanders can continue to fish for fun, enjoy an abundance of seafood and work in an economically viable fishing industry.

The Department of Primary Industries Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) has proposed a range of management changes to the State’s marine fishery in the recently released Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS).

The proposed changes include reduced and new bag limits and area and seasonal closures for certain species.

QFS senior policy officer Mark Lightowler said the main objective of the proposed new measures was to ensure that Queensland’s fisheries remained sustainable.

“Balancing the needs of commercial fishing, recreational fishing and environmental interests is the greatest challenge currently facing QFS,” he said.

“However, the bottom line is certain fish stocks are at risk if measures aren’t put in place to protect them.”

Mr Lightowler said Queensland’s spotted mackerel fishery was a perfect example of a species at risk with commercial catch having increased threefold over the past few years.

“It is difficult to determine whether or not the increased level of spotted mackerel catch could be sustained and new measures are needed to ensure that the stock does not collapse,” he said.

The RIS proposes a reduction in the bag limit for spotted mackerel from 30 to five and increasing the minimum size limit from 50cm to 60cm.

The RIS also proposes implementing a commercial catch quota between 125 and 150 tonne.

Mr Lightowler said the proposed changes were guaranteed to cause debate amongst recreational and commercial fishers.

He said determining the stock size of spotted mackerel was difficult as it was a schooling species which meant they were easily caught and often in large numbers, giving a false impression of the amount of fish available to be taken.

“QFS is currently carrying out a pilot monitoring program to assess the population dynamics of the spotted mackerel to determine what effect increased catches have had on the population,” Mr Lightowler said.

“There is no magic answer to whether fish stocks are sustainable or not but through understanding the State’s fisheries and collecting information about them, we can put practices in place to minimise the possibility of fisheries collapsing.”

The public has until Friday, October 18 to comment in writing on the proposals outlined in the marine RIS.

Copies are available on the DPI Fishweb site at www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/ or by phoning the DPI Call Centre on 13 25 23.

Department of Primary Industries Media Unit
GPO Box 46 Brisbane Q 4001 Ph 07 3239 6380
DPI Call Centre 13 25 23 (weekdays 8 am to 6 pm)

Further information: Mark Lightowler (07) 3225 1897
Communications Officer: Liz Smith (07) 3224 7757

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