Fisheries strategy making big gains

IN THE first year of Queensland’s Sustainable Fisheries Strategy, compliance has been boosted significantly, the State Government says.

Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said the first annual update on the strategy showed good progress in a range of different areas.

“Under the strategy, we are delivering 33 actions across 10 reform areas with targets to be met by 2020 and 2027,” he said.

“To date, one third of all the actions in the strategy have already been delivered.

“All of the actions due to be delivered in the first year have been successfully completed.”

Mr Furner said there had been particularly good progress in boosting compliance, better engagement and rolling out new monitoring.

“Compliance resources have been boosted with 20 new officers, the reopening of the Gladstone Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol office, and the rollout of vessel tracking on target for all net, crab and line boats by January 2019,” he said.

“While there has been a strong focus on better engagement, we will be undertaking further work to improve relationships between government, fishers and the community. Over the next year, our focus will be on reviewing fishing rules, amending legislation and developing harvest strategies.”

Mr Furner said the aim was to have an amended Act and new regulations ready to start by mid next year.

He said changes would be guided by stakeholder feedback and the advice of the fishery working groups and Sustainable Fisheries Expert Panel.