Smart State smart fishing

Ecological assessment of the East Coast Inshore Finfish fishery

A report to the Australian Government Department of Environment and

Heritage on the ecologically sustainable management of a multi-species

tropical and subtropical meshnet fishery

Compiled by: Brad Zeller and Natale Snape

With contributions from:

Lew Williams, Jeff Bibby, Len Olyott, Brooke Young, Anthony Roelofs, Mark

Doohan, Fran Trippett, Mark Lightowler and Malcolm Dunning (DPI&F Fisheries)

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents........................................................................................................ 2List of Figures.............................................................................................................. 4List of Tables............................................................................................................... 4Acronyms /Abbreviations ............................................................................................ 5Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 6Main Features of the Commercial Fishery .................................................................. 9Response to Attachment A ....................................................................................... 11

1. Description of the fishery ................................................................................................. 11 Catch Composition .......................................................................................................... 13

Commercial Fishery..................................................................................................... 14 Catch and Effort Trends....................................................................................................... 17

Catch Trends for Major Species ...................................................................................... 17 Recreational Fishery.................................................................................................... 21 Indigenous Fishery ...................................................................................................... 23 Bycatch (as defined in Guideline 2.1.1)....................................................................... 23

Biology and ecology of the main commercial fish species .............................................. 23 Shared fish stocks ........................................................................................................... 24 Area of the fishery............................................................................................................ 24 Number of operators in the ECIFF .................................................................................. 24 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 26

Commercial netting...................................................................................................... 26 Recreational fishing ..................................................................................................... 28 Indigenous fishing........................................................................................................ 29

History of the fishery ........................................................................................................ 29 2. The environment likely to be affected by the fishery ....................................................... 32 3. Management arrangements for the fishery ..................................................................... 32

Queensland Government legislation and management .................................................. 32 Spatial and Temporal Closures ................................................................................... 34 Offshore Constitutional Settlement 1995 (OCS agreement) ....................................... 34 Bycatch Action Plan..................................................................................................... 34 Commercial fishery management arrangements ........................................................ 35 Closed waters .............................................................................................................. 36 Regulated fish (size and “in possession limits”) .......................................................... 36 Dugong Protection Areas............................................................................................. 37 Total Allowable Commercial Catch Limits for certain species..................................... 37 Restrictions on the way nets may be used .................................................................. 37 Emergency Fisheries Declarations.............................................................................. 37 Monitoring .................................................................................................................... 37 Serious Fisheries Offences ......................................................................................... 38

Recreational fishery management arrangements ........................................................... 38 Permitted apparatus .................................................................................................... 38 Size limits..................................................................................................................... 39 Bag limits ..................................................................................................................... 39 Closures....................................................................................................................... 39

Indigenous fishery management arrangements .............................................................. 39 4. Environmental Assessment of the Fishery ...................................................................... 39 5. Management measures and safeguards to ensure ecological sustainability .................. 39 6. Monitoring and Management Alternatives....................................................................... 39 7. Information Sources......................................................................................................... 39

Assessment of the Management Regime against General Requirements of the Guidelines ................................................................................................................. 40

1. Take into account arrangements in other jurisdictions, and adhere to arrangements established under Australian Laws and International agreements...................................... 40

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2. Be Documented, Publicly Available and Transparent ..................................................... 41 3. Be Developed Through a Consultative Process Providing Opportunity to all Interested and Affected Parties, Including the General Public ............................................................. 42 4. Ensure that a Range of Expertise and Community Interests are Involved in Individual Fishery Management Committees and during the Stock Assessment Process.................. 43 5. Be Strategic, Containing Objectives and Performance Criteria by Which the Effectiveness of the Management Arrangements are Measured ........................................ 43 6. Be Capable of Controlling the Level of Harvest in the Fishery Using Input and/or Output Controls ............................................................................................................................... 437. Contain the Means of Enforcing Critical Aspects of the Management Arrangements .... 44

Compliance Levels .......................................................................................................... 44 Emergency Fisheries Declarations.................................................................................. 44

8. Provide for the Periodic Review of the Performance of the Fishery Management Arrangements and the Management Strategies, Objectives and Criteria ........................... 44 9. Be Capable of Assessing, Monitoring and Avoiding, Remedying or Mitigating any Adverse Impacts on the Wider Marine Ecosystem in which the Target Species Lives and the Fishery Operates ........................................................................................................... 44 10. Comply with Relevant Threat Abatement Plans, Recovery Plans, the National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch, and Bycatch Action strategies Developed Under that Policy................ 45

Threat Abatement Plans.................................................................................................. 45 Recovery Plans................................................................................................................ 45 The National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch ....................................................................... 46

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List of Figures

Figure 1.1. Operational areas for commercial “N” fishery symbols in the East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery..................................................................................... 12

Figure 1.2 Operational areas for commercial "K" beach fishery symbols in the East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery ......................................................................... 13

Figure 1.3 Comparing Queensland East Coast and Gulf of Carpentaria commercial net catch (tonnes) ..............................................................................................15

Figure 1.4 Showing the average catch composition for the ECIFF between the years 1990 to 2004 ...................................................................................................... 16

Figure 1.5 Graph showing the mean harvest of ECIFF for Major Species Groups from 2000 to 2004 by Regions.............................................................. ..........18

Figure 1.6 Showing the average catch composition for the ECIFF between the years 1990 to 1992 ...................................................................................................... 18

Figure 1.7 Showing the average catch composition for the ECIFF between the years 2002 to 2004 .................................................................................................. ....19

Figure 1.8 Relative mean proportions of mullet and other species catches in the ECIFF...................................................................................................................20

Figure 1.9 East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery - Trends in mean species catches excluding mullet................................................................................................. 21

List of Tables

Table 1 Species compostion of the total net catch (tonnes) in the ECIFF (N and K symbol endorsed licences combined)..........................................................15

Table 2 Queensland recreational fisheries: Number of main finfish species caught and released ................................................................................................21

Table 3 Percentage of the population in Queensland that target particular species groups..........................................................................................................22

Table 4 Numbers of ‘N’ and ‘K’ net fishery symbol endorsements in the ECIFF ......25

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Acronyms / Abbreviations

AFFA Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Australia AFMA Australian Fisheries Management Authority BAP Bycatch Action Plan BBmsy Biomass at Maximum Sustainable Yield CFISH Commercial Fisheries Information System CPUE Catch-per-unit effort CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation DEH Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage DPIF Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries DPA Dugong Protection Area ECIFF Queensland East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery EPA Queensland Environment Protection Agency EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act FHA Fish Habitat Area Finfish MAC East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery Management Advisory Committee FRDC Fisheries Research and Development Corporation GOCIFF Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Finfish Fishery GVP Gross Value of Production LTMP QFS Long Term Monitoring Program NHT Natural Heritage Trust NPF Northern Prawn Fishery NRIFS National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey NPOA- Shark National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of

SharksOCS Offshore Constitutional Settlement QBFP Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol QFMA Queensland Fisheries Management Authority QFS Queensland Fisheries Service Qld Queensland RFISH Recreational Fishery Information System SOCI Species of Conservation Interest TAC Total Allowable Catch TRAP Tropical Resource Assessment Program MLS minimum legal size MSY Maximum Sustainable Yield TL total length

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Executive Summary

In terms of gross value of production (GVP), the East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery is the third largest commercial fishery in Queensland, valued at AUD 28 million in 2004. Export markets exist for mullet roe, shark fins and small mackerel products from the fishery. The commercial net fishery occurs in inshore coastal and estuarine waters along the whole Queensland east coast.

Mainly tropical species are harvested northward from Baffle Creek (24˚ 30’S) to Cape York and include threadfins, barramundi, whaler and hammerhead sharks, grey and spotted mackerel and mangrove jack. A greater number of subtropical species are harvested south of Baffle Creek to the New South Wales border including tailor, mullet, school mackerel, various whiting species, bream, flathead and luderick. A range of other finfish species are harvested as byproduct [including trevally and rabbitfish (so-called black trevally)].

Total catches in the commercial fishery have increased since 1990. Long-term catch levels of a number of species have increased, while others have decreased depending on the species. Significant increases in the harvest of several species occurred between the 1990-1992 and 2002-2004 periods. Commercial catches of tropical sharks, spotted mackerel and garfish nearly quadrupled to 1200 t, 180 t and 220 t respectively. Catches of barramundi and blue threadfin have also increased, while catches of tailor and rabbitfish have decreased. Significant catches of some species are also taken by the recreational fishery.

The mean annual commercial east coast inshore harvest increased approximately 30% from 4400 t in the 1990-1992 period to 6000t in 2003- 2004. Moreton Bay dominates the regional catches in the fishery with an average of 40% of the yearly total east coast net harvest. The next largest producing regions were the Fraser Burnett and Northern Dry regions, accounting for about 20% and 13% of the total net catch respectively.

Total effort in the commercial fishery has remained remarkably stable with only small increases in fishing effort and the number of boats in the fishery between 1990-1992 and 2003-2004. During this period, there has also been a 15% shift in effort away from this finfish fishery toward the pot fisheries for crabs. Currently annual effort in the fishery is about 37000 days fished by 694 boats. Approximate numbers of boats using the various net types, as determined by the number of fishers reporting catches in the commercial fishery database were mullet (413 boats), whiting (262) and barramundi (202).

Many east coast net fishers are mixed gear fishers rather than specialists that use only a single gear type. In addition to nets, fishers use pots, spanner crab dillies and line to harvest in other fisheries when inshore finfish catches or market demand are low. This has implications for sustainable management of fishery resources in general. A process has been implemented to control effort transfer from inshore net fishing to other forms of fishing. Controlling latent effort in the inshore net component of the fishery is an important management tool to ensure sustainability in this and other fisheries. During the period 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005, DPI&F implemented an effort policy and a 40% reduction in the number of inshore net licences was achieved.

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Recreational fishing participation and catches are surveyed by the DPI&F on a regular basis (with a survey currently underway for the 2004/05 period) and the information is incorporated into assessments of the status of major stocks. A total of 851,100 Queenslanders, 5 years and over, participated in recreational fishing in 2001. Retained catches from the diary survey in 2001 were estimated as 2,138,680 fish. Major East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery species caught included: various whiting species, mullet, bream, dart, tailor, flathead, mangrove jack and barramundi.

The Queensland Government has in place a number of closures protecting resources upon which the fishery depends. These include: seasonal closures of recognised spawning sites for major target fish species (e.g. barramundi and tailor) and; permanent closures to commercial netting in nursery habitats where fish are in relatively high numbers and can be more susceptible to net capture (e.g. inshore seagrass beds, upper estuaries of rivers and whole estuaries of some smaller creeks). Permanent protection of inshore and estuarine fish habitats is provided through declaration of Fish Habitat Areas and the unauthorised disturbance of marine plants is prohibited under Queensland fisheries legislation.

Total commercial fishing closures (Recreational Only Fishing Areas) have been established in Pumicestone Passage, Trinity Inlet and the eastern beaches of Fraser Island. Once important local commercial fisheries, net fishing is now prohibited in these areas, but use of recreational fishing gear (including cast nets and small haul nets), together with line and pot fisheries are allowed under the Fisheries Regulations.

Since 1997, Dugong Protection Areas (DPAs) have been in place in the fishery to minimise the likelihood and level of interaction between dugong and netting operations in areas that support high dugong numbers between Hinchinbrook Channel and the Great Sandy Straits (Appendix 6). The Shoalwater Bay and Hinchinbrook DPA ‘A’ Zones are the most restrictive for prohibition of various nets, whereas, the Upstart Bay DPA ‘A’ Zone permits set foreshore nets in a defined area on the western edge of the DPA ‘A’ Zone (D. Cameron, GBRMPA, pers com). Net fishing activity is permitted under strict regulations within Type ‘B’ DPAs.

From July 2004, additional closures through Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) re-zoning removed commercial net fishing from significant areas of inshore fishing grounds. DPI&F recognizes there is potential that these closures will cause effort to be displaced onto adjacent grounds open to net fishing and into other fisheries (most ECIFF fishers have multiple net, line and crab license endorsements). The Commonwealth government is funding an industry structural adjustment package for fishers adversely affected by the re-zoning. As part of the development of a management plan for the fishery, DPI&F are currently considering the implications of GBRMP and complementary State Marine Park Zoning. Management strategies to maximize benefits from the additional closures and mitigate impacts upon the fishery and the ecosystem are being considered.

Commercial fishing for some species is limited through output controls to address concerns about the sustainability of the respective species and to ensure appropriate resource allocation between different user groups. For example, Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and daily quotas for tailor and spotted mackerel were introduced in the commercial fishery during 2003 and are currently set at 120 t and 140 t respectively.

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Limits are placed on the size and number of vessels operating in the commercial fishery and on the nets that may by used in various parts of the fishery area. In possession limits (bag limits) and Minimum and Maximum Legal Sizes are already in place for a number of the species taken in the fishery. Legal sizes and recreational bag limits are under review as part of the development of a fishery management plan.

Sustainable management of the fishery has been well supported by biological research. In the early 1990’s, management options for barramundi (e.g.: net and mesh sizes and spawning closures) were reviewed based largely on DPI&F research during the late 1980’s. In the mid-1990’s, research in the fishery focused on the biology of mullet and small mackerels and their interactions with the ocean beach haul net and mesh net fishery. The biology of dart, an important recreational species and commercial byproduct species in the ocean beach net fishery, was also investigated.

Emerging management needs for information about the status of the stocks led to the development of a fisheries assessment program to analyse the data collected from the compulsory daily commercial fishery logbooks in place since 1988). In the late 1990s, the Tropical Resource Assessment Program conducted fishery assessments for east coast barramundi, threadfins, grey mackerel and sharks. A review of stock assessments for mullet, and yield-per-recruit models for tailor, bream, flathead and whiting was undertaken in 1998. Since 1999, a long-term monitoring program (LTMP) for inshore finfish has collected size and age data for mullet, tailor and barramundi. For details see the internet at:

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fisheriesmonitoringprogram/

Routine assessments of commercial fishery catch, effort and catch rate indicators commenced in the mid-1990’s. Analysis of commercial fishery data on target and byproduct species was reported in 1997, 2002 and will continue to be provided in annual status reports. Research focused on providing information to guide the sustainable management of high priority species produced: biomass dynamic models for threadfins and barramundi; age validation for tailor, and assessment of the north Queensland recreational mangrove jack fishery. These projects were completed in 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Quantitative stock assessments have been conducted on a number of the major commercial and recreational target species in the fishery. By mid-2005, age-structured assessments of tailor, mullet and spotted mackerel stocks (incorporating commercial and recreational catch and effort data and environmental variables) were completed. Species composition and catch trend analysis of tropical sharks and a semi-quantitative risk assessment for shark species captured in the fishery were completed in 2004. A risk assessment for stingrays and sawfish has been proposed for 2005.

Only a small number of boats report shark catches in the fishery, but the sustainability of catches of some shark species is of concern. Specific measures to sustainably manage the harvest of sharks and rays in the fishery are being considered as part of a review of the current management arrangements and the findings of recent DPI&F research on shark harvesting.

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A research project completed in 2000 documented the low levels of bycatch in most areas of the east coast inshore net fishery. With dugong Protection Areas and various other coastal closures in place under either Fisheries or Marine Parks legislation together with existing “attendance” rules for use of gillnets and controls on tunnel nets, management of bycatch is not considered a significant issue in the fishery. In general, commercial fishers are guided by best practice procedures developed with the assistance of the industry and make determined efforts to release any bycatch alive if caught in nets. To ensure there are short response times for release of bycatch, attendance rules for nets are being reviewed as part of the development of a proposed management plan. It is proposed to consolidate the codes of practice for mitigation of impacts on bycatch in the fishery through a “Bycatch Action Plan” developed by the DPI&F with commercial and recreational fishers similar to that developed for the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Finfish Fishery.

Education on minimising the effects of fishing on bycatch is provided to fishers through industry training packages and through resource material developed by the DPI&F in cooperation with commercial and recreational fishers. Similar to other Queensland commercial fisheries, a compulsory Species of Conservation Interest (SOCI) Logbook has been introduced into the fishery to enhance reporting incidence of fishery interactions with protected species.

Main Features of the Commercial Fishery

Catch composition: Major species: Mullet, sharks, whiting, barramundi, bream, tailor, grey mackerel, spotted mackerel, school mackerel and threadfins.A range of other tropical and temperate finfish species are harvested as byproduct including garfish, queenfish, flathead, rabbitfish, trevally, pilchards, dart, and grunter.

Annual catch and effort (1990 to 2004):

Number of Boat Days has decreased however, overall effort (number of days fished) has increased as has the overall catch

Value in 2003-2004: AUD 28 million Markets Asian export and domestic Fleet size: 1710 licensed primary fishing vessel symbols in the fishery in

August 2005. Fleet is dispersed along the east coast and diversified across a number of sub-fisheries using different gear types.

Location: All tidal waters except closed waters from Cape York to NSW – Qld border

Fishing Season: Annual seasonal closures apply to barramundi fishing between 1 November and 1 February. A general seasonal fishing closure applies to waters between Indian Head and Waddy Point, Fraser Island from 1 August to 30 September

Fishing Gear: Mesh net, haul (seine) net, tunnel net, cast net and line in the commercial fishery; line and hook, cast net and small seine (bait) net in the recreational fishery

Discards: Undersized/oversized regulated species and catch exceeding species specific bag limits

Management: Prescribed net types, length and mesh size, legal sizes for many species, competitive commercial Total Allowable Catch for tailor and spotted mackerel; commercial daily quota for

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spotted mackerel; recreational bag limits for popular angling species, marine park and seasonal and area closures.

Stock Assessment: Yield-per-recruit on bream, tailor, flathead and whiting in late 1990’s; biomass dynamic models for barramundi and threadfins in 2002, age structured assessments of tailor, mullet, spotted mackerel in 2004/5.

Ecological risk assessment

Semi-quantitative ecological risk assessment on sharks in 2004

Protected species interactions

Incidental capture of sea turtles, and more rarely sawfish, dugong, dolphins and pelicans. Data indicate that captured animals are released alive.

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PART A

Response to Attachment A

1. Description of the fishery The Queensland Inshore Finfish Net Fishery (ECIFF) is a multi-species fishery with commercial operators targeting a range of finfish species using a variety of different net methods. The majority of the species harvested are taken from inshore waters, including rivers and creeks, however, some species such as sharks are also taken from offshore waters using mesh nets. The area of the ECIFF includes all tidal waters along Queensland’s East Coast east of 142º09’E Long., near Crab Island (approx. 11.0ºS Lat.), to the Queensland/New South Wales border (approx. 28º10’S, 153º34’E).

Although this document assesses the fishery as a whole, there are significant differences between tropical and sub tropical regions of the ECIFF. Some species are taken predominantly in northern, tropical, waters (for example barramundi, threadfins, grey mackerel and tropical sharks) and others taken almost exclusively in southern, sub tropical, waters including mullet, tailor, bream, flathead and whiting.

Commercial fishers may only operate in the ECIFF if they hold a primary commercial fishing vessel licence endorsed with one of the following fishery symbols: “N1”, “N2”, “N5” “N6”, “N7”, “N8” “K1”, “K2”, “K3” “K4”, “K5”, “K6” “K7” “K8”. These fishery symbols authorize the use of various nets to take finfish within areas prescribed under the Qld Fisheries Regulations. “N1”, “N2”, “N7” and “N8” symbols allow commercial net fishing using various nets along the whole east coast. The “N5” symbol allows fishing in a limited area from Baffle Creek southward to Kauri Creek (Fig. 1.1). “K” fishing symbols allow commercial netting along ocean beaches from the NSW border to the northern tip of Fraser Island (Fig. 1.2).

Figure 1.1 Operational areas for commercial “N” fishery symbols in the East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery

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Figure 1.2 Operational areas for commercial "K" beach fishery symbols in the East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery

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Catch Composition

Commercial Fishery

The ECIFF is a multi-species fishery with a variety of species being targeted at different locations and times of the year throughout the geographic extent of the fishery. Species that may be regarded as ‘target species’ are evident in the commercial catch data with a high percentage (>40%) of fishing days using a particular gear type reporting capture of barramundi, garfish, mullet and shark species. Species reported on <40% of fishing days are considered byproduct including grey mackerel, threadfins and whiting. By-product species add considerable value to the catch and are retained and processed for sale.

There are at least 20 species or species groups that could be considered byproduct in the ECIFF (Appendix 1). Fish species that dominate the catch in the commercial net fishery include:

mullet (Mugilidae) shark (Carcharhinidae) whiting (Sillago spp.) barramundi (Lates calcarifer) bream (Acanthopagrus australis, A. berda) tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) spotted mackerel (Scomberomorus munroi) grey mackerel (Scomberomorus semifasciatum) blue threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) king threadfin (Polydactylus macrochir)

trevally (Carangidae)

rabbitfish (Siganidae)

gar fish (Hemiramphidae)

other species (e.g. queenfish, flathead, pilchards, dart and grunter).

Although queenfish have been grouped with “other species”, in recent years catches have increased and queenfish now account for a significant proportion of the catch in this group. A list of other species making up this group can be found in Appendix 1.

Ecological/biological information and trends in ECIFF catch and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) for the major commercial species recorded through the CFISH logbooks is provided in Appendix 2. Reported total annual landings for these species are given in Table 1.

Table 1 Species composition of the total net catch (tonnes) in the ECIFF (N and K symbol endorsed licences combined)

Year 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004Mullet* 2257 1761 2528 1416 1727 2296 2004 1505 2252 2513 1844 2699 1805 2132 2205

Shark* 289 276 342 491 463 510 535 584 700 726 1071 1227 1150 1501 1240

Whiting* 307 287 270 270 217 226 268 343 320 311 254 330 295 332 384

Barramundi 154 219 142 165 156 155 150 171 195 231 251 233 199 300 323

Bream* 224 178 183 145 135 220 159 191 153 167 197 194 156 171 221

Tailor 168 127 167 113 189 131 168 143 194 141 249 251 118 122 141

Mackerel- Spotted 35 27 84 132 70 121 149 232 118 156 424 285 187 180 110

Mackerel- Grey 265 157 150 83 70 59 81 177 93 93 48 78 115 240 236

Threadfin- Blue 99 130 106 134 131 105 98 115 78 91 94 142 136 192 194

Gar* 66 75 88 77 47 64 102 106 118 104 105 165 194 220 259

Trevally* 32 68 84 68 95 77 80 113 176 112 161 125 101 122 159

Threadfin- King 87 111 84 109 92 74 87 84 84 95 106 80 83 127 158

Rabbitfish 117 126 102 37 76 57 52 81 153 72 121 88 65 68 92

Other finfish* 185 105 34 18 22 26 22 28 42 46 29 40 34 82 162

Bait fish* 273 265 461 405 355 347 487 538 499 484 520 514 508 672 659

Finfish total 4559 3913 4824 3664 3846 4469 4441 4412 5174 5340 5474 6450 5144 6462 6542

* A number of species comprise the harvest

The ECIFF provides almost all of the Queensland commercial harvest of mullet species, whiting, bream, tailor, spotted mackerel, rabbitfish, garfish, and dart. It also provides over 76% of the commercial shark and blue threadfin catch for the State and a significant part of the commercial catches of other commercially important species including barramundi, king threadfin and grey mackerel (35%, 34% and 33% of the Qld catch respectively). The majority of commercial catches for barramundi, king threadfin and grey mackerel come from net fisheries in the Gulf of Carpentaria (Fig. 1.3). An ecological assessment of the management regime for these species in the Gulf of Carpentaria fishery has been conducted previously (Roelofs, 2002).

Queensland East Coast and Gulf of Carpentaria commercial net catches.

2062.9 740.4 294.1 203.1 179.6 161.4 153.9 129.7 123.1 119.4 105.0 56.287.297.3 34.8

18.51.01.573.4

250.0

0.00.30.2

525.1

2.5

325.7

0.1

344.6

0.1 16.5 1.0

21.10.0

200.0

400.0

600.0

800.0

1000.0

1200.0

1400.0

1600.0

1800.0

2000.0

2200.0

Mulle

t -

All

Shark

- A

ll

Whitin

g

Barr

am

undi

Bre

am

- A

ll

Tailo

r

Mackere

l -

Spotted

Mackere

l -

Gre

y

Thre

adfin

- B

lue

Gar

- A

ll

Tre

vally

- A

ll

Thre

adfin

- K

ing

Rabbitfish

Queenfish

Dart

Gru

nte

r -A

ll

To

nn

es

EC Gulf

Figure 1.3 Comparing Queensland East Coast and Gulf of Carpentaria commercial net catch (tonnes)

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Significant proportions of Queensland’s commercial catch of several less frequently harvested species (viz. species with an annual average harvest of less than 100t) are also caught in the ECIFF. These lessor caught species are grouped as “other finfish” and include queenfish, grunter and croakers. A full list of less frequently caught species aggregated as “other finfish” can be found in Appendix 1.

Mean values among reference years have been used to identify, assess and report long-term catch and effort trends in the fishery based on analysis of commercial logbook data (Williams, pers com 2004). In the period between 1990 and 2004, the mean total commercial harvest in the ECIFF (all species by weight) increased by about 29% from 4527 t to 6383 t. Effort (no. days fished) has remained remarkably stable over the same period, increasing only 10% to 37400 fishing days in 2004.

Mullet species provided, on average, 40% of the total harvest between the years 1990 to 2004 (Fig. 1.4). In the same period, tropical sharks and whiting species made up 15% and 6% of the total catch respectively. All other species including barramundi were less than 5% of the total catch. (Fig. 1.4).

Mean Catch Composition for the ECIFF (1990 to 2004)

Mackerel - Grey

3%

Threadfin - Blue

2% Gar - All

2%

Threadfin - King

2% Invertebrates

2%Rabbitfish

2%

Trevally- All

2%Tailor

3%

Mackerel - Spotted

3%

Bream - All

4%

Barramundi

4%

Whiting

6% Other Finfish

10%

Shark - All

15%

Mullet - All

40%

Figure 1.4 Showing the average catch composition for the ECIFF between the years 1990 to 2004

Several of the target, byproduct and bycatch species are predominantly caught in either the tropical north ECIFF or in sub-tropical, southern areas of the ECIFF. Most ECIFF species in the northern areas have a widespread tropical Indo-West Pacific distribution (Kailola et al. 1993). Queensland east coast stocks of barramundi, black jewfish, grunter, king and blue threadfin and grey mackerel are genetically separate to Gulf of Carpentaria stocks, while tropical sharks appear to have only one stock across northern Australia (Garrett et al. 1997, Kailola et al. 1993).

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The target, byproduct and bycatch species in the southern ECIFF areas are a mixture of tropical and temperate species (Kailola et al. 1993). Sea mullet are distributed worldwide between the latitudes 42ºS and 42ºN Kailola et al. 1993. East coast sea mullet aggregate for spawning along with temperate species (eg tailor, yellowfin bream, luderick and dart) in coastal waters of southern Queensland.

Catch and Effort Trends

Total commercial net harvest in the ECIFF increased by almost 50% to around 6300t/year since 1990. Also during this period:

the total number of days fished in the ECIFF increased slightly (to about 37 000 in 2004), boat numbers in this fishery have remained fairly stable at around 700, mean daily net harvest increased by 13% to about 163kg/day and; the number of days fished per boat, per year increased from an average 44 in

the 1990-1992 period to 52 in the 2002-2004 period.

Catch Trends for Major Species

Tropical shark and barramundi are species harvested primarily in the northern section of the ECIFF (see Fig 1.5). Significant catches of these species are also caught in the GoCIFF (Fig. 1.3). The main trends during the period 1990 – 1992 to 2002 – 2004 in commercial landings in the northern section of the ECIFF are reported in Williams (pers comm.) and are highlighted here:

Tropical Shark As a percentage of the total commercial harvest in the ECIFF, tropical shark catch has increased from 6% in the 1990-1992 period (Fig 1.6) to 21% in 2002-2004 (Fig 1.7). Currently tropical shark, primarily caught in the northern section of the fishery, contributes 80% of the total ECIFF commercial shark harvest.

Barramundi The northern section of the ECIFF provides almost all of the commercial east coast barramundi harvest (Fig 1.5) and barramundi harvest increased steadily across the years from an average of 128t in 1990-1992 to 264t in 2002-2004.

ECIFF- Mean harvest for 2000-2004 by Major Species Groups

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

Moreton

Fraser Burnett

Capricorn

Sw ains

North dry

North w et

Remote

Tonnes

Barramundi Mackerel -all Mullet - All Shark - AllThreadfin-all Whiting - N Other finfish

Figure 1.5 Graph showing the mean harvest of ECIFF for Major Species Groups from 2000 to 2004 by Regions1

Mean Catch Compostion for the ECIFF (1990 to 1992)

Threadfin - Blue

2%Gar - All

2%

Threadfin - King

2%

Invertebrates

7%Rabbitfish

2%

Trevally- All

1%

Tailor

3%

Mackerel - Spotted

1%

Mackerel - Grey

4%

Bream - All

4%

Whiting

6%

Barramundi

4%Other Finfish

9%Shark - All

6%

Mullet - All

47%

Figure 1.6 Showing the average catch composition for the ECIFF between the years 1990 to 1992

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1 For Region areas see Appendix 12

Mean Catch Composition for the ECIFF (2002 to 2004)

Gar - All

4%

Threadfin - King

2% Invertebrates

0% Rabbitfish

1%

Trevally- All

2%

Threadfin - Blue

3%

Tailor

2%

Mackerel - Spotted

3%

Mackerel - Grey

3%

Bream - All

3%

Whiting

6%

Barramundi

5%

Other Finfish

12%

Shark - All

21%

Mullet - All

33%

Figure 1.7 Showing the average catch composition for the ECIFF between the years 2002 to 2004

A comparison of the mean annual net harvest for the years 1990 to 1992 and 2002 to 2004 indicates that catches from the southern section of the ECIFF have increased slightly from 3400t to 3560t, but the contribution of the southern section2 of the fishery to the total ECIFF catch (all species) has declined from 77% to 63% (Williams, pers comm.).

Much smaller quantities of the main species harvested in the northern regions of the ECIFF3 are caught commercially in the southern section of the ECIFF. Of the main species harvested in these northern areas, only spotted mackerel, sharks and grey mackerel make up significant proportions (70%, 20% and 10% respectively) of the total ECIFF catch for these species. Other tropical species such as barramundi and the threadfins are not taken in commercial quantities in the southern ECIFF. However, almost the whole of the commercial harvest of a number of temperate estuarine species (including mullet, bream, whiting, tailor, rabbitfish, flathead, school mackerel dart and luderick) are taken in the southern regions of the ECIFF.

MulletMullet are almost exclusively harvested in the southern areas of the ECIFF with only relatively small quantities of mullet commercially harvested from estuaries in the northern parts of the ECIFF. This area provides less than 10% of the Queensland east coast commercial mullet harvest. There has, however, been an almost 60% increase in reported harvest of mullet species in the northern ECIFF (Fig 1.8)

2 Southern regions of the ECIFF are South of Baffle Creek (24.30) and include: Fraser-

Burnett and Moreton.

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3 Northern regions of the ECIFF are North of Baffle Creek (24.30) and include: Swains,

Northern Dry, Northern Wet and Remote.

Although there is considerable variation over years, mullet declined slightly as a percentage of total harvest in the ECIFF from 47% to about 33% over the period 1990 – 1992 (Fig 1.4) to 2002 - 2004 (Fig. 1.4). The mean contribution of all other ECIFF finfish, excluding mullet, varied around a level of 38% across the years 1990 to 2004 (Fig 1.5)

ECIFF- Trends of mullet spp compared to other species

groupings

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

year

Tonnes

Mullet - All Other EC Finfish

Figure 1.8 Relative mean proportions of mullet and other species catches in the ECIFF

Threadfins The northern areas of the ECIFF provide almost all of the commercial east coast threadfin harvest. Blue threadfin and king threadfin make up the threadfin species harvested in the ECIFF with blue threadfin increasing from 2% of the total commercial harvest in the 1990-1992 period (Fig 1.6) to 3% of the total harvest in 2002-2004 (Fig 1.7). King threadfin has remained fairly stable at an average of 2% of the total ECIFF harvest across all years.

MackerelGrey and spotted mackerel are the two main species making up the ECIFF mackerel catch. About 90% of the commercial grey mackerel and 30% of the spotted mackerel catches in the ECIFF are currently harvested in the northern areas of the fishery. Harvest of both species in the northern ECIFF is highly variable from year to year. Since 1990, the commercial catches for these species has varied significantly from 48t to 260t for grey mackerel and from 27t to 420t for spotted mackerel. From 2000 onwards, the level of spotted mackerel harvest appears to be market-driven with fishers being able to sell most of the product landed as whole fish rather than in a filleted and frozen form.

Other Finfish species When the mullet harvest is excluded from the analysis, on average, across the years 1990 to 2004, whiting contribute about 10% of the finfish harvest in the southern ECIFF. Bream and tailor each contribute about 6% and 5% of this harvest respectively. Rabbitfish also known as black trevally, contributes 3%, shark contributes about 26% and garfish contributes about 4% to this production (Fig 1.9).

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There is variability between the years due to the relative level of harvest for each of the species in any one-year.

ECFFF- Trends for major species excluding mullet

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Shark - All Whiting Bream - All Tailor Mackerel - Spotted Other finfish

Figure 1.9 East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery - Trends in mean species catches excluding mullet

Recreational Fishery

Fishing is an important recreational activity for many people in Queensland. The dimension of this activity ranges from competitive sports fishing and an occasional recreational pastime to those that utilize this fishery as a food resource.

At this stage it is not possible to estimate the proportion of recreational fishers in Queensland who fish in the inshore finfish fishery as separate to those that fished in freshwater and “off shore” or reef fisheries. Results from the 2002 recreational fishing telephone survey estimated some 653,000 anglers, aged 15 years or older, fished in Queensland at least once in the previous twelve month period.

The recreational harvest is based on estimated numbers of fish caught in fish species groups (data from RFISH diary surveys). The information shown in Table 2 provides estimated numbers of the major recreational ECIFF species (or those of significant interest) that have been caught. The table also demonstrates the numbers of fish that are released alive and not actually harvested by a large number of recreational fishers.

This table will be refined during future surveys and should be regarded as an indicative scale of the inshore recreational harvest in Queensland rather than absolute. A full list of recreational species caught in Queensland waters can be found in Appendix 1. As future survey results are published, estimated trends in recreational fish harvest will become more accurate.

21

22

Table 2 Queensland recreational fisheries: Number of main finfish species caught and released

SpeciesGroup 1997 1999 2002

Catch Released Catch Released Catch Released

*Whiting-all 11,650,000 4,218,000 10,714,364 3,634,148 11,007,868 4,675,673*Bream- all 7,788,000 5,081,000 6,630,872 3,986,674 6,390,713 4,286,651*Trevally- all 1,948,000 1,168,000 2,262,352 1,125,870 1,976,687 1,133,095Flathead 1,624,000 837,000 1,178,757 509,933 1,446,418 880,772Tailor 1,564,000 334,000 862,496 234,397 1,058,951 360,634Barramundi 294,000 225,000 435,591 315,429 268,215 203,912Mackerel-spotted N/A N/A 107,113 20,419 74,390 21,405Mackerel-School N/A N/A 95,471 30,341 67,912 27,555Mackerel-Grey N/A N/A 6,399 1,543 2,280 738

* A number of species make up these groups

Two fish species groups dominate recreational harvest, whiting and bream. These two species provide about 25% of harvest by weight. Commercial harvest from the east coast of Queensland for the same species groups is about 70 % of the recreational harvest for these same species groups (Williams 2002).

Barramundi, school mackerel and spotted mackerel harvests are relatively similar for the commercial and recreational sectors. Recreational harvest of bream is about 4.5 times the commercial harvest, dart harvested from the ocean beach is about 5 times the commercial harvest and inshore whiting and flathead are each around 3 times that of the commercial harvest level. The recreational survey data suggests that the catch levels vary considerably between years.

The percentage of recreational fishers that have gone fishing specifically to target a species group has declined slightly for the major recreational species, with the exception of barramundi (Table 3).

Table 3 Percentage of the population in Queensland that target particular species groups.

% of population that targeted spp Recreational Species group 1996 1998 2002

*Whiting-all 15.3 15 14.6

*Bream 13.1 12.4 10

flathead 10.6 11.1 9.9

*Trevally- all 1.4 1.1 1.2

Tailor 6.3 5.9 5.3

Mackerel-all 5.3 5.1 4

Barramundi 3.1 3.8 4.8

* A number of species make up these groups

It is estimated that the recreational harvest of bream and flathead are about four times the commercial harvest; the recreational harvest of whiting are about three times the commercial harvest; tailor recreational harvest varies between two to four times the commercial catch; and the commercial harvest of school and spotted mackerel is estimated to be about twice the recreational harvest.

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Indigenous Fishery

There are no reliable estimates of inshore finfish catches by indigenous communities within the ECIFF area. Limited information is available on indigenous fish catches throughout the northern part of the fishery area. Published information from the National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey [NRIFS] indicates that an estimated 900, 000 finfish are harvested by indigenous fishers in northern Australia each year. The most prominent finfish species groups caught are mullet, catfish, perch and snappers, bream and barramundi (NRIFS 2003). Fish catches by north Queensland indigenous communities include catches surveyed from both the Gulf of Carpentaria and along the Queensland north-east coast. While 38% of the total northern Australian indigenous fish catch is taken by eleven surveyed north Queensland indigenous communities, a smaller but uncertain percentage of the catch can be attributed to the five surveyed indigenous communities that are located within the ECIFF area on the north-east coast of Queensland.

Bycatch (as defined in Guideline 2.1.1)Halliday et al. (2001) recorded in excess of 100 bycatch species in the ECIFF. The major ones (Appendix 1) making up an average of about 16% of the catch by numbers of individuals. Observer validated bycatch data in the northern areas of the fishery is dominated by silver croaker (Nibea soldado) (24%) and catfish (15%). Other major bycatch species consist of undersized target and byproduct species (e.g. barramundi, blue threadfin and yellowfin bream). Several species of sharks and rays have been reported in the northern ECIFF bycatch including hammerhead, shovelnose, whaler and sliteye sharks, and cownosed rays.

Both the commercial and recreational sectors catch and use locally caught bait in their operations, either for their own use or for sale to others (commercial and charter boat operators only). These are used in the commercial line fishery and mud crab pot fisheries. Bait species generally include mullet, garfish, herring, sprats and prawns. There are no reliable estimates of the recreational catch of these species in the ECIFF at present.

Most of the target, byproduct and bycatch species in the ECIFF have a widespread tropical Indo-West Pacific distribution (Kailola et al. 1993) but appear to have separate northern and eastern breeding stocks, for example Queensland EC stocks of barramundi, spotted croaker, grunter, king and blue threadfins and grey, spotted and school mackerel are genetically separate to GoC stocks (Garrett et al.1997;Cameron & Begg 2002). The predominant tropical shark species (the Australian blacktip whaler (Carcharhinus tilstoni) and sorrah whaler (Carcharhinus sorrah))appear to have single stocks across northern Australia (Kailola et al. 1993; Cameron & Begg 2002).

Biology and ecology of the main commercial fish species Barramundi, threadfins (blue and king), tropical sharks, mackerel (grey, spotted and school), mullet, tailor, bream, whiting, rabbitfish, trevally, and gar are the main species making up the commercial ECIFF harvest. A substantial body of information from research on their biology and ecology and has been documented in Bibby (2004). Summaries of this information are in Appendix 2.

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Shared fish stocksSome temperate to subtropical demersal and pelagic stocks fished in the ECIFF are shared with New South Wales for example sea mullet, tailor, spotted and school mackerel and bream. Some of the tropical east coast species occur in the Northern Territory and in Western Australia (e.g. tropical shark species, grey and spotted mackerel, barramundi and the threadfins). Our knowledge of population structure and stock characterization for some of these species is limited, although research has been conducted into barramundi, spotted croaker and spotted mackerel, mullet and tailor. Tagging studies by CSIRO on the Australian blacktip shark (a principal component of the northern Australian shark fisheries) have suggested that there is a single large stock across northern Australia. The stock is shared between NT, QLD, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia (Roelofs 2003).

Area of the fisheryThe ECIFF area includes all tidal waters along Queensland’s East Coast east of 142º09’E Long., near Crab Island (approx. 11.0ºS Lat.), south to the Queensland/New South Wales border (28ºS, 143ºE) (Figure 1.1). While The ECIFF extends seaward to the boundary of the 1995 Offshore Constitutional Settlement between Qld and the Commonwealth, up to 300nm from the Queensland mainland (Fig. 1.1), in practice most commercial fishing takes place inshore of about 20 km from the mainland. The area of the ECIFF includes waters of all Queensland rivers and creeks influenced by the tide and flowing into the Coral Sea.

Queensland’s inshore finfish fishery comprises a number of commercial net fisheries that target multiple finfish species. These fisheries are identified by different fishery symbols. A breakdown of these fisheries in terms of area, types of nets used and species targeted are provided in Appendix 3. The type of fishing activity that can be carried out under each fishery symbol is further subdivided on the basis of location, species that may be retained and fishing gear that may be used (Appendix 3).

The ECIFF spans over 5300 kilometres of coastal foreshores encompassing around 75 major river systems and numerous tributaries. The N8 sub-fishery operates in tidal waters seaward of the 3nm of the mainland and island shoreline. The commercial bait sub-fishery (symbols ‘N6’ and ‘N7’) also operates in the GOCIFF (Roelofs 2003) and only allows the use of smaller mesh nets, seine nets and cast nets (Appendix 3). There are a number of areas where commercial and recreational fishing is not permissible. Closed waters are described in the Fisheries Regulations. Commercialline fishing for reef fish and Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) (fishery symbols L1, L2, L3, L6 and L7) occurs within the ECIFF area. Line fishers with an L8 symbol target deepwater cod (Epinephelus) species further offshore than where fishing in the ECIFF occurs. Commercial fisheries for these species are the subject of other separate ecological assessments under DEH guidelines. This assessment report will not consider these fisheries in detail other than where there is a cross-fishery use of an ECIFF stock.

Number of operators in the ECIFFSince 1984, there has been a freeze on new commercial fishing licences in Qld non-trawl fisheries (Morton and Healy 1992). In 1990-1992 there were 733 commercial net fishing licences active in the fishery. By 2004 there were 1710 primary licences, 208 of these are not active (DPI&F 2005). Primary commercial net fishing licences have multiple permits attached to the licence that authorize commercial fishing for

25

defined species in defined locations, using fishing gear prescribed in the Fisheries Regulations.

In April 2005, there was a total of 2,472 separate fishing vessel licence permits authorized to fish in the ECIFF. In decreasing order of the number of licences holding ECIFF fishery symbols, there are 1706 Bait Net Fishery No. 1 (N6) permits, 506 East Coast Net Fishery No.1 (N1) permits and 189 East Coast Set Net Fishery (N2) permits currently in the ECIFF (Table 6). There are a total of only 9 permits for all other ‘N’ fishing symbols and 62 permits for ‘K’ fishing symbols in the fishery (Table 6). These figures reflect the relative levels of fishing activity in the sub-fisheries identified in Table 4.

Table 4 Numbers of ‘N’ and ‘K’ net fishery symbol endorsements in the ECIFF

Fishery Symbol Number of Permits

N1 506

N2 189

N5 4

N6 1706

N7 5

N8 0

K1 5

K2 5

K3 8

K4 5

K5 12

K6 4

K7 6

K8 17

Total 2472

The geographic distribution of major species harvested in the northern areas of the commercial fishery for the years 2000 to 2004 (Fig. 1.4), indicate that higher harvest levels are associated with major estuaries and extensive mangrove and seagrass habitats in the Remote region around Princess Charlotte Bay (PCB) and the Northern Dry region. The higher catch areas for commercial species harvested in the northern sector of the fishery are (from Williams, pers comm.):

PCB, Townsville and Gladstone for barramundi and threadfin; PCB, Townsville and the Burdekin River delta for tropical shark; Northern Dry for mackerel; Gladstone and further south for mullet and whiting (see below).

The Gross Value of Production (GVP) for the commercial sector of the ECIFF was estimated in 2004 to be worth $28 million (Williams, pers comm.).

A breakdown of species harvest by location for the major species groups captured shows the prominent mullet harvest across the southern region and the relatively high level of total finfish harvest from the two major estuarine wetland ecosystems in this region (Moreton region and Fraser Burnett). The Moreton region and adjacent ocean beach harvest dominate the landings (Fig. 1.5). This region produces nearly 2500t of finfish annually or about 41% of the commercial harvest reported by fishers in the ECIFF. The Fraser Burnett region spans from Rules Beach to just south of Double Island Point and produces just over 1000t of product, constituting 20% of the ECIFF catch (Fig. 1.4).

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The higher catch areas for other commercial species harvested in the southern areas of the fishery are (from Williams, pers comm.):

Fraser Burnett and Moreton for mackerel and shark; Fraser Burnett and Moreton for whiting and, Moreton for tailor and bream.

It is estimated that there were about 733,000 people aged 5 or older that participated in recreational fishing in Queensland 2004 (RFISH estimates, DPI&F 2004). This figure has declined across survey years, a result that has been noted in other states within Australia. The DPI&F are currently researching what factors have influenced this decline. More reliable estimates are being developed with the completion of the 2001 NRIF Survey and the continuation of the RFISH telephone surveys and voluntary fisher diary system administered by DPI&F.

There are no reliable estimates of the number of Indigenous participants in the fishery at present. The NRIF survey provides information on the numbers of traditional fishers and catches from northern parts of the Queensland east coast in the 2000 to 2001 twelve month period. Indigenous community fishing licences are now no longer issued; individual fishers are now issued with general fisheries permits. Other individuals hold primary commercial fishing licences although these are among the 1710 licences currently issued in the N and K fisheries and do not warrant special attention as indigenous fishers.

In 2004 there were 303 commercial tour operators in Queensland (DPI&F, 2005). This permit allows operators to fish anywhere along the east coast of Queensland making it difficult to allocate charter catch to specific regions.

Methods

Commercial netting

Mesh nets A mesh net is used in a straight line, circle or zigzag formation and is suspended vertically in the water column in order to entangle fish by their gills. Mesh nets are used to catch barramundi in rivers and creeks and for barramundi and other finfish species along tropical foreshores. In bays and estuaries, mesh nets are set at various levels in the water column depending on the species being targeted. Mesh nets are also used to encircle a school of fish (e.g. mackerel). Species caught using this gear are barramundi, threadfin, grey mackerel, school mackerel, shark, mullet, whiting, bream, tailor, flathead, garfish and baitfish.

BarramundiMesh nets are used in the estuarine and shallow coastal waters extending from Cape York southward to the southern limit of the east coast range for barramundi, around the Mary River, southern Queensland. Each commercial net endorsement allows a fisher to operate 3 nets totalling no more than 360m in length when fishing within creeks or rivers, or 600 m when fishing foreshores. Monofilament mesh nets are used exclusively with mesh size restricted to between 150 and 215 mm for river netting operations (Halliday et al. 2001). Mesh net-caught product is predominantly “iced, gilled and gutted” with large whole fish generally meeting more market resistance than smaller fish. Apart from in the far northern part of the fishery, most fishing effort occurs close to regional population centres. Fishing is predominantly conducted over-night and the product landed the next morning. Fishing generally

27

occurs from sunset to sunrise with soak times varying between 2 and 6 hrs (Halliday et al. 2001).

Other demersal species A three-month seasonal closure to protect spawning east coast barramundi extends from 1st November to 1st February each year. During this period commercial fishers target other species. Commercial fishing for blue and king threadfins (Eleutheronema tetradactylum and Polydactylus macrochir), grunter bream (Pomadasys kaakan) and dusky flathead (Platycephalus fuscus) using smaller mesh nets (mesh size ranging from 100 to 115 mm) operates year round and is not restricted by the seasonal barramundi closure. Fishing using small mesh nets occurs exclusively on foreshores, as mesh nets set within estuarine or riverine waters are restricted to a minimum mesh size of 150 mm by Regulation. The nets are fixed in static positions with soak times averaging between 4 and 5 hrs (Halliday et al. 2001).

Small mackerels Three small Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus) species are harvested in the ECIFF, with grey mackerel (Scomberomorous semifasciatus) captured predominantly in the northern sector of the fishery and school mackerel (S. queenslandicus) and spotted mackerel (S. munroi) in the southern sector. Mackerel fishing in southern Queensland is highly seasonal, normally lasting from spring until summer. Two forms of fishing using mesh nets occur. The first method is similar to mullet fishing with fishers sighting schools of mackerel and setting their nets in a ring surrounding the school. This method is usually restricted to sheltered embayments. The second is a set net fishery where nets are set in a fixed position perpendicular to the shoreline off the surf beaches and allowed to passively fish for up to 3 hrs. Nets are usually 600 m long and have a mesh size of 112 mm to 137 mm (Halliday et al. 2001).

Haul nets A haul net is used to haul fish onto a beach or shoreline. In areas characterized by large, open and shallow tidal flats, a section of the net may be erected using a small number of stakes to create an artificial foreshore. The balance of the net is then shot around fish and hauled back to the staked section ending with the lead-line of the shot net meeting the lead-line of the staked net. Haul nets (also known as beach seine) are used in the ocean beach net fishery. In these operations a boat is used to shoot the net around a school of fish in a semi-circular fashion. The ends of the net are then hauled from the water using a four-wheel drive vehicle or a tractor until the cod-end of the net (in the middle) is in shallow water. At this time, the fish are sorted and removed from the net with undersize and unwanted fish returned to the water live. Species caught with this gear are mullet, tailor, garfish, baitfish and whiting.

Sea Mullet Sea mullet (Mugil cephalus) are predominantly caught in southern Queensland (from Bundaberg to the NSW border). Only about 10% of the annual commercial catch is harvested from waters in the northern sector of the fishery. Monthly production is about 80 t of fresh fish that is sold in local seafood markets. During the autumn and early winter, sea mullet are also sought for their roe as this brings a higher price to fishers (up to $6/kg for roe fish compared with $1 -$2/kg for the fresh fish market). To target fish for the roe market, fishers increase the mesh size of their nets from 75 mm to 87 mm or 102 mm, as the valuable female fish are generally larger than male fish (Virgona et al. 1998). Fishers employ active fishing techniques that involve sighting schools of mullet in shallow water. Once the schools are sighted, fishers set their net around the school and almost immediately begin to hand haul the net back into the

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boat. Numerous spatial and temporal closures exist in this fishery (Queensland Fisheries Act 1995) with input restrictions on the length of net used, limited mesh sizes and output restrictions in the form of minimum legal sizes on many of the species caught (Halliday et al. 2001).

WhitingNetting operations for whiting are conducted in two different ways. The first method is to actively use a small mesh net to form a ring, usually over intertidal or shallow sub-tidal areas. The net is then hand hauled and the fish within the ring captured by meshing (Halliday et al. 2001). The second method is a more passive form of fishing similar to tunnel netting (see below).

Tunnel nets A tunnel net is used in selective foreshore areas. Set at high tide, it is designed to trap fish at ebb tides. The main wall of the net is open in the middle to provide entrapped fish with access to a blind tunnel that leads into deeper water. Once caught in the tunnel the fish are removed by a scoop net. Species targeted using these gears are the same as for fishing with mesh nets. A modification of tunnel netting is used to target whiting on shallow tidal flats. A small mesh net (usually 51mm mesh and up to 800 m long) is set along the edge of a bank at the low tide mark when the tide is about half down. The water then drains off the bank bringing the fish down from within the shallows and into the net (Halliday et al. 2001).

Line Fishing (Commercial & Recreational) The majority of the commercial harvest of inshore finfish species is taken by net; however, a small proportion of the harvest is taken by line. The species taken by line include mangrove jack, fingermark, estuary cod, blackspot cod, grass sweetlip, spotted mackerel, school mackerel, grey mackerel, sharks and rays. Recently, the spotted mackerel fishery was made a line only fishery with only incidental catches of spotted mackerel able to be taken by net.

Recreational fishing Inshore recreational fishing ranging from sporting competitions, catch and release, holiday fishing and fishing to supplement diet is an important activity for many people in Queensland. Statistics provided through State and National recreational fishing surveys indicate that for several of the commercially harvested net species the recreational catch is greater.

Recreational fishers primarily use hook and line to catch target fish species and cast and seine nets to catch baitfish species. Charter boat operators use the same fishing apparatus and methods as the recreational fishery. There are restrictions on the type of fishing apparatus allowed in the recreational fishery, which are outlined in Guideline 1.1.7.

Recreational fishing can be either shore based or vessel based. Methods for line fishing are diverse and largely dependent on the target species and the location fished. However, generally lines with bait or lures attached are cast at likely fish holding areas such as snags, submerged reefs, gutters, undercut banks and tidal drainage areas. Lures are retrieved to cause a fish to strike and become hooked. Areas popular with EC recreational fishers include mangrove-lined rivers and creeks (especially in estuaries adjacent to EC towns and ports), rocky and coral reef structures and foreshore gutters. Boat based fishers either anchor and fish at a

29

suitable site or allow the vessel to drift by likely fish holding locations to which lures are cast and retrieved.

Indigenous fishing The Indigenous communities in northern Queensland use traditional subsistence fishing methods for traditional and customary purposes, as well as recreational and limited commercial fishing practices to catch finfish and crabs. Traditional fishing methods include the use of spear, stone fish traps and nets and are used to supply product solely for community use. The commercial and recreational fishing methods used by traditional owners are the same as for the other sectors of the fishery and are subject to commercial and recreational fisheries legislation. The legislation does not limit an Aborigine’s or Torres Strait Islander’s right to take, use or keep fish under Aboriginal traditional or Island custom (Roelofs 2003).

History of the fisheryThe inshore finfish fishery is Queensland’s oldest developed fishery. Utilised for subsistence since the earliest recorded times by the inhabitants of south-east Queensland, it was also the first fishery in Queensland to be developed after colonization.

The Queensland Fisheries Act 1877 was implemented as the first step in controlling commercial fishing and preserving critical breeding grounds. The controls included the introduction of licensing, a prohibition on the use of explosives to take fish, controls on fishing apparatus (including restrictions on the size of fishing nets and the way in which nets could be used), minimum legal sizes by weight for 13 species of fish, and restrictions on the taking of fish, turtles, crabs and crayfish within specified areas.

The publication Harbours and Marine – Port and Harbour Development in Queensland from 1824 to 1985 provides, in part, an interesting history of commercial fishing in Queensland. Extracts below are from this publication:

The Brisbane River, which had been closed to net fishing in the late 1880s, remained closed from the Magazine and Doboy Creek up, providing a nursery for young fry, a policy that was universally approved (p. 334).

Shortly after the passing of the Act, Inspectors of Fisheries were appointed to cover the whole coast (p. 189).

For the year ending June 1891 licences to catch fish in Moreton Bay had been issued to 99 European men and 46 boats, and 32 Chinese men and 16 boats. In the Maryborough region, for the year ending June 1891, licences were issued to 6 Europeans and 4 Chinese and only 6 boats (p.189).

In about 1891, fish caught in Moreton Bay by the regular fishermen were brought up the Brisbane River to Breakfast Creek where fish were distributed at the regular price of 12s per bushel amongst 40 or 45 hawkers… and the yearly consumption of fish in and around Brisbane amounted to 370 to 380 tons (p.189).

In 1894, there were 61 Europeans operating 53 boats, and 17 Chinese with 12 boats fishing in the Moreton region. The main take of fish in the Moreton Bay area was

30

mullet, (which made their appearance after the south easterly weather of April and May), whiting, bream, tailor and jewfish (p.334).

Commercial fishers disposed of their catches at the nearest population centre. For example, fishermen from vessels working out of the Noosa River sent their fish to Gympie, and Maryborough fishermen sent theirs to Gympie and Maryborough for distribution to the surrounding district. Some of the Moreton Bay fishermen forwarded their catch by train to the Brisbane Markets from such convenient places as Sandgate, Pinkenba, Wynnum, Nambour, Stapylton, Coomera and Southport (p. 335).

The South coast, North coast and Cleveland Railway lines were being utilised largely for carriage of fish to Brisbane and the railways used to carry fish to inland towns, approximately 600 tones being carried by the railways in 1897. The use of the rail allowed larger quantities to be placed on the market from more distant localities and by 1898 fish were being received from Maroochy, Mooloolah, Caboolture, Pine River, Sandgate and Pinkenba on the northern line and from Wynnum, Manly, Cleveland, Logan, Albert, Coomera and Southport on the southern lines (p. 334).

During 1897 several shipments of whiting, sent south in the cold chambers of overseas and coasting steamers, realised handsome returns in the Sydney market (p. 334).

In 1901, the Inspector of Fisheries, James H Stevens, advocated starting a central fish market for the Brisbane area as a means of controlling the size of fish being marketed. Regulations in force in 1902 had substituted ‘length’ for controlling fish size instead of ‘weight’ which was previously used. He also considered that all fish hawkers should be licensed, as without adequate supervision a large number of them often sold fish that was stale and unfit for food, besides taking for sale fish which had been poached from closed waters, and also from people who fished without a licence (p.335).

As a result, the Fisheries Act 1904 provided for the marketing of fish, but it was not until 1907 that the Brisbane Fish Market began operating.

In 1929, the total quantity of fish supplied to the Brisbane market was 1881 tons. The bulk of this fish was obtained from Moreton Bay and consisted mainly of mullet, bream, whiting, deep sea mackerel and snapper.

The quantity of fish that passed through the Brisbane market during the financial years of 1935-36 and 1936-37 was 1543 and 2005 tons, respectively (p.481). In the 12 months ending June 1941, the quantity of fish consigned for sale at the Brisbane market was 2122 tons (p. 484). Over the last 50 years, the quantity of fish taken each year in the Moreton region has remained reasonably consistent. In 1992, the reported commercial catch of finfish in the Moreton region was about 1600 tonnes (1568 tons).

The publication Harbours and Marine – Port and Harbour Development in Queensland from 1824 to 1985 also provides, in part, an interesting history of recreational fishing in Queensland. The extracts below are from this publication.

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A new sport of outside deep sea fishing was becoming a popular past time and by 1905, as many as ten or twelve steamers, with large parties on board, engaging in it every weekend when the weather was suitable. The average take was rarely less than a couple of hundred fish per steamer, but occasionally a steamer returned with a catch running into four figures… The Inspector of Fisheries could account, he said, for about 25000 fish so landed from pleasure steamer trips during the winter of 1905 (p. 335).

By 1936, recreational line fishing, as a form of recreation and sport, was becoming increasingly popular throughout Queensland. In and around the Brisbane metropolis several new fishing clubs were formed. There were indications that the number of amateur fishers not belonging to any club or fishing organisation had also increased… it was reported that one party of about 40, line fishing in Bribie Passage near Caloundra in 1936, secured over 2300 sea bream in about 12 hours fishing. As evidence of the extent to which rod and line fishing was followed as a means of recreation, over 1500 persons engaged in a competition conducted by the Telegraph Newspaper Company, in conjunction with the Amateur Fishermen’s Association at Jumpinpin, Moreton Bay, in June 1936, despite very unfavourable weather (p. 480).

The next important step taken was that the use of nets by non-professional fishers was banned from 1 January 1968. The use of nets by amateurs had previously caused unnecessary scattering of mullet shoals, black marketing, unhygienic sale of fish and serious conflict with the anglers including tourist.

The early commercial fishery used gillnets to target barramundi and later threadfin. General Queensland commercial and recreational fisheries regulations applied to this fishery up to 1977.

Historically, the majority of management strategies in the northern sector of the ECIFF were developed to conserve barramundi stocks and have been formulated using data on the catch and biology of EC barramundi (e.g. Russell, 1987). Other targeted or incidental species in the northern ECIFF may have also received some benefit from past fishery management measures such as closed seasons and gear restrictions for barramundi.

In 1981, a series of management strategies were implemented on the EC following concerns that barramundi stocks were in decline from increased fishing pressure during the 1970’s. These strategies included:

A seasonal closure during November, December and January during which the taking of barramundi and all set netting was banned.

Restrictions on net mesh size and on total net length that an individual operator could use.

Reduction in commercial effort by limited licence regimes with entry based on historical and financial involvement as well as demonstration of professional standards of operation.

Compulsory monthly logbook entries of commercial catch and effort, with catch validation through processor/sales dockets.

Introduction of a recreational bag limit on barramundi. Protection of certain fish nursery habitats. Increase in legal minimum total length (TL) of barramundi from 55 to 58cm.

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During the 1980s, reviews of the fishery’s commercial sector resulted in many changes to netting arrangements and river and foreshore closures under the Queensland Fishing Industry Organisation and Marketing Act 1982. Despite these management initiatives, catch of barramundi steadily declined from 1981 to 1994 to be only 45% of 1981 catch levels by 1994. DPI&F is considering further management options for species assessed to be at relatively high risk to their sustainability, for example scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) and white-spotted guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) (Gribble et al. 2005).

2. The environment likely to be affected by the fishery Eastern coastal Queensland spans an estimated 18 degrees of latitude and encompasses both tropical and warm temperate climatic conditions. Studies have confirmed that high inshore fisheries productivity is linked to rainfall and stream flow (e.g. Loneragan and Bunn). The ECIFF is dependent upon species that inhabit inshore coastal and estuarine waters as foraging, breeding and nursery areas. The diversity of the fish habitats that support ECIFF stocks and the range of human pressures impacting upon them are considered further in Appendix 4.

3. Management arrangements for the fishery The DPI&F manages the commercial, recreational and indigenous components of the ECIFF with advice from the Inshore Finfish Management Advisory Committee (Finfish MAC) under Queensland law through the Queensland Fisheries Act 1994 (the Fisheries Act) and the Queensland Fisheries Regulations 1995 (the FisheriesRegulations).

Management measures used in the ECIFF are a combination of input and output controls (see Guideline 1.1.7) that include spatial and temporal closures, limited licensing, and gear and vessel restrictions. The Offshore Constitutional Settlement (OCS) of 1995 between the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments through the Commonwealth Fisheries Management Act , has vested the Queensland Government with management of all inshore demersal and pelagic finfish (excluding tuna and tuna-like species) along the Qld east coast out to the OCS boundary (see below for details).

Queensland Government legislation and managementThe Queensland Government is committed to managing fisheries resources according to the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The objectives of the Queensland Fisheries Act are to: 1. ensure fisheries resources are used in an ecologically sustainable way; 2. achieve the optimum community, economic and other benefits obtainable from fisheries resources; and to 3. ensure that access to fisheries resources is fair.

The objectives of the Act were amended in September 2002 to more accurately reflect current interpretations of the ESD principles adopted by Queensland and all Australian governments in the National Strategy for ESD (COAG 1992). The listed objectives of the Act are outlined below.

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1. The main purpose of the Fisheries Act is to provide for the use, conservation and enhancement of the community’s fisheries resources and fish habitats in a way that seeks to - (a) apply and balance the principles of ecologically sustainable development (b) promote ecologically sustainable development. 2. In balancing the principles, each principle is to be given the relative emphasis appropriate in the circumstances. 3. In the Fisheries Act – “ecologically sustainable development” means using, conserving and enhancing the community’s fisheries resources and fish habitats so that – (a) the ecological processes on which life depends are maintained; and (b) the total quality of life, both now and in the future, can be improved. “principles of ecologically sustainable development” means the following principles – (a) enhancing individual and community well-being through economic development that safeguards the well-being of future generations; (b) providing fairness within and between generations; (c) protecting biological diversity, ecological processes and life-support systems; (d) in making decisions, effectively integrating fairness and short and long-term economic, environmental and social considerations; (e) considering the global dimension of environmental impacts of actions and policies; (f) considering the need to maintain and enhance competition, in an environmentally sound way; (g) considering the need to develop a strong, growing and diversified economy that can enhance the capacity for environmental protection; (h) that decisions and actions should provide for broad community involvement on issues affecting them; (i) the precautionary principle. “precautionary principle” means the principle that, if there is a threat of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of scientific certainty should not be used as a reason to postpone measures to prevent environment degradation, or possible environmental degradation, because of the threat.

The Fisheries Act sets the direction for fisheries management while allowing for flexibility in management through subordinate legislation (Management Plans and Regulations) to deal with specific fishery management needs. The subordinate legislation for the ECIFF is the Fisheries Regulations 1995 and its subsequent amendments.

The Regulations provide for the sustainability of the species taken and the ecosystems upon which they depend. As subordinate legislation, the Regulations require parliamentary approval for any material changes to the ECIFF management regime.

The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and subordinate legislation are invoked when fishers interact with protected species in the ECIFF area.

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Spatial and Temporal Closures The Fisheries Regulations identify various locations where waters are closed to commercial netting (Appendix 5). These areas provide sanctuaries for fish stocks and in some cases, protected species such as dugong, cetaceans, sawfish and turtles. Substantial areas of seagrass meadows are found within the closures in Dugong Protection Areas located between Hinchinbrook Channel and Hervey Bay. These locations support the largest areas of seagrass (Coles and Lee Long; McKenzie et al)likely to be vital sources of food for dugong and turtles. In these closure areas dugong, turtles and other protected species can travel and feed in a net-free environment.

There is an annual closed season to all net fishing in rivers and estuaries in the ECIFF area from 1 November to 1 February. These closures were introduced to maintain spawning activity in principal target species, particularly barramundi.

Offshore Constitutional Settlement 1995 (OCS agreement) Prior to the Offshore Constitutional Settlement of 10 February 1995 (OCS agreement) the Commonwealth managed fisheries beyond three nautical miles and the State managed fisheries within three nautical miles of the Qld coastline. Current management arrangements for all fish stocks other than tuna and tuna-like species inside a line approximating to the 400m isobath along the Qld east coast were formed under the framework of the OCS (Retif 1996). The east coast OCS Arrangement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Queensland places management responsibility for all fin fish caught in the ECIFF with the Queensland Government. The arrangement provides that the fishery be managed under Queensland law.

Bycatch Action Plan A Bycatch Action Plan (BAP) has been developed by stakeholders and DPI&F as a strategic plan to manage bycatch in the GOCIFF (Roelofs 2003). A BAP will be developed for the ECIFF in conjunction with a management plan, and will likely have similarities to the GOCIFF BAP which proposes to: 1) reduce impacts of fishing on populations of bycatch species and the marine environment by: a. minimising the interaction in all fisheries with protected and other bycatch speciesb. increasing the opportunity for survival of bycatch species c. minimising the waste of marine species 2) improve social acceptability and community and fishers’ awareness and support for the activities taken to address bycatch in the GOC by increasing education and awareness of bycatch issues 3) identify which actions each sector can take to achieve 1) and 2) above.

If a BAP is developed for the ECIFF it will be strategic Queensland Government policy and have no legislative powers. Actions in a BAP could be implemented through legislation via changes to the proposed Management Plan and/or through fisheries permit conditions. The implementation and effectiveness of a BAP will be reviewed against performance indicators. The results from the review of the GOCIFF BAP will be instrumental in the development of a BAP for the ECIFF.

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Commercial fishery management arrangements Management of the commercial sector in the fishery is through control of effort rather than control of harvest. The DPI&F believes the present management arrangements for the ECIFF are more suited to this type of fishery than through output controls such as Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) and Total Allowable Catches (TACs). The ECIFF is a multi-species fishery with commercial, recreational and Indigenous sectors contributing to the overall catch. Commercial landings have been quantified for the ECIFF however specific knowledge of total take by the other sectors would be necessary to calculate TACs for each species taken. The information is presently not available with sufficient quality although programs such as RFISH and the NHT/FRDC NRIF survey are helping to provide broad fishery catch data. Obtaining biological information for all the species in the fishery at present is cost prohibitive and if individual species TACs were imposed on the fishery, the enforcement of these quotas would be unmanageable. Present day arrangements are managing the ECIFF in a sustainable manner and sufficient precautionary approaches to management of particular species are in place where biological and distributional information is limited (e.g., grey mackerel).

DPI&F considers appropriate management approaches as the need arises. For example, DPI&F has reduced commercial effort in the fishery by 40% through a licensing adjustment scheme (M. Doohan, DPI&F, pers comm., 2005). Arrangements presently in place for the management of finfish taken commercially in the fishery include gear restrictions (nets and vessels), fish size limits, limited entry to the number of vessels operating within the fishery (licenses), a seasonal closure, area closures (NN in total) and fishery independent and compliance monitoring approaches (see response to Guideline 1.1.7).

There is an annual closed season in rivers and estuaries to all commercial net fishing in the ECIFF during November, December and January to maintain spawning activity in principal target species, particularly barramundi.

An important aspect of minimising interactions with protected species is education. All net fishers are required to complete an Endangered Species Awareness Course and it is proposed that the course be compulsory for other forms of commercial fishing. The course aids in the identification, handling and release of protected species. A code of conduct for resuscitation of marine turtles has been developed for the trawl fishery but has been made widely available to fishers in the ECIFF. Handling turtles in resuscitation procedures ensures the survival of released turtles is maximised.

Net fishery The net fishery for the inshore species is managed under Queensland law by the DPI&F under the issue of either an ‘N’ or a ‘K’ license.

Bycatch reduction methods There are a number of management measures that have been developed to minimise the risk of fishery interactions on protected and other marine species such as; introducing closed waters (for example to protect nesting turtles) and restrictions on gear design and operation of nets including: mesh sizes, weighting and net soak times (Roelofs 2003). Any significant changes to legislation would require extensive stakeholder consultation through FinfishMAC.

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Acoustic devicesAcoustic pingers have been shown in overseas trials to reduce the interaction between fishing nets and dolphins. Research is currently under way in Queensland to determine the effectiveness of these devices under local conditions. A number of operators in the GOCIFF are participating in these trials and other fishers have expressed a desire to also be involved. If pingers are shown to be effective in reducing interactions between dolphins (or other protected species) and fishing nets, further consideration should be given to their mandatory adoption in suitable net fishing operations in the ECIFF. A final report to FRDC on the current trials was produced in June 2003 (Roelofs 2003).

Drop of netThe capture of benthic dwelling species may increase when nets are in contact with the seafloor, or as a result of folds in the net. There may be a number of ways to reduce such bycatch, including prohibiting the use of offshore mesh nets in contact with the sea floor or prohibiting fishing operations where the depth of the water is less than the drop of the net. Further consideration of this issue may include experimental research into the effects of net drop reduction on bycatch and targeted catch (Roelofs 2003).

Closed waters Under the Regulation there are a range of closures to the use of nets in certain areas or at certain times or to the take and possession of certain species.

Permanent Closures Permanent netting closures have been implemented to many areas of inshore waters and rivers and creeks throughout the Queensland East Coast. These closures have been implemented for the following reasons:

to protect important nursery habitats for prawns and threatened species to reduce the use of nets near heavily populated or tourist sites to protect juvenile fish so that they can grow to optimum size before capture

Species Closures Under the Regulation a closure applies to the take and possession of certain species of fish in Platypus Bay. This closure was introduced as a precautionary measure because a high incidence of ciguatera poisoning had occurred from fish taken in Platypus Bay.

Seasonal Closures Annual closures to the taking of barramundi and tailor apply from 1 November to 1 February and 1 August to 30 September respectively. These closures provide protection for barramundi and tailor during critical spawning periods. Other seasonal closures are being projected to be included in a proposed management plan.

Regulated fish (size and “in possession limits”) The Regulation contains minimum and maximum legal size limits for a range of finfish. These size limits are shown in Appendix 3. Size limits are a key management intervention, introduced for biological reasons to provide a degree of protection to fisheries resources. Usually a minimum size limit is introduced that would allow the species to grow to a size that gives the fish 50% chance of spawning before capture.

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Several “in possession” limits are contained under the Regulation for commercial fishers. These limits were introduced as a by-catch allowance to minimize the potential for fish taken incidentally to be returned to the water dead.

Dugong Protection Areas The Regulation contains a list of regions where restricted apparatus applies for the protection of dugong. The restrictions include maximum net length, minimum and maximum mesh size and net monofilament strength. Appendix 6 shows the locations of Dugong Protection Areas (DPAs) along the Qld east coast.

Total Allowable Commercial Catch Limits for certain species Under the Regulation the tailor fishery and the spotted mackerel fishery are managed through the use of annual Total Allowable Commercial Catches (TACCs). The quota year for tailor runs from 1st May to 30 April the following year. The TACC for the tailor fishery is 120 tonne, however, incidental catches of 100kg of tailor can still be retained when the TACC has been reached (see “in possession “limits above). The quota year for spotted mackerel runs from 1 July to 30 June the following year. The TACC for the spotted mackerel fishery is 140 tonne, however, incidental catches of 15 spotted mackerel can still be retained when the TACC has been reached.

Restrictions on the way nets may be used To ensure that the integrity of the minimum and maximum mesh sizes in nets is maintained, there are several restrictions on the way nets may be used.

Emergency Fisheries Declarations Under s.46 of the Fisheries Act 1994, the DPI&F may make an Emergency Fisheries Declaration effecting an emergency closed season, closed waters declaration or regulated fish declaration. Such a declaration may be made only if the DPI&F is satisfied that urgent action is needed to meet a significant threat to fisheries resources or a fish habitat or another emergency. The DPI&F must publish the declaration but is not required to enter into consultation about the declaration. The declaration expires within 2 months of its gazettal unless earlier repealed. Where the declaration is inconsistent with a Regulation or Management Plan unless earlier repealed, the declaration expires 21 days after gazettal.

MonitoringUnder the Fisheries Act 1994 it is compulsory for commercial fishers to report their catch and effort information through logbook returns (Appendix 7). The information collected through the logbook program is used for research and management purposes. Commercial fishers are required to submit their logbook returns monthly however in situations where catches of tailor and spotted mackerel are being reported then those logbooks must be submitted fortnightly.

Commercial fishers who take more than 100kg of tailor or more than 15 spotted mackerel within a twenty-four hour period must report their catches by telephone.This allows for the real-time monitoring of these two species that are managed under a quota system. The annual quota for tailor is 120 tonne. Once 100 tonne of tailor

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has been reached, through the telephone monitoring process then commercial fishers are advised that they have only two weeks of the quota year to target tailor. Similarly in the spotted mackerel fishery, once 130 tonne has been reached through the telephone monitoring process, commercial fishers are advised that they have only two weeks of the quota year to target spotted mackerel.

Serious Fisheries Offences Commercial fishers who are convicted of a serious fisheries offence can have their licences suspended if the conviction is recorded. A serious fisheries offence includes the illegal:

Contravention of a closed season or closed waters declaration Buying or selling fish Obstructing, hindering or resisting an inspector Using or possessing fishing apparatus

Recreational fishery management arrangementsRecreational and charter boat/fishing guide sectors target barramundi, king threadfin, blue threadfin and mud crabs along with other species that include mangrove jack, fingermark bream, grunter, black jewfish, jewel fish and triple tail cod. Information on recreational catch in Queensland waters is derived primarily through DPI&F recreational fishing (RFISH) surveys. Surveys have been conducted in 1997, 1999 and 2001 and comprise information submitted by recreational fishers by phone and through diary returns. Information is also derived from the 2001 National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (NRIFS) although this data has not yet been publicly released.

The 2004 RFISH survey (RFISH Survey 2004, DPI&F) indicated that some 505,100, or 91% of all Queensland recreational fishers fished in saltwater at some stage within the 12 months preceding the telephone survey. In the same survey, 4.8% of anglers indicated they had specifically fished for barramundi and 14.6% indicated they had specifically fished for whiting.

Commercial tour operators require a permit to fish in EC waters. The numbers of operators in the EC vary due to the seasonal nature of the fishery. However, in 2004, an average of approximately 351t of fish per operator were harvested in this region (DPI&F, 2005).

Permitted apparatus Recreational fishers may take any fish described above using only the following apparatus:

LineHand held fishing lines or fishing rods with hand operated reels and lines. A maximum of 6 hooks may be used.

NetsCast net with a maximum length of 3.7 metres and maximum mesh of 28mm. Scoop net with maximum of 2 metres in any dimension, a maximum mesh of 25mm and a maximum handle length of 2.5 metres. Seine net with a maximum length of 16 metres, a maximum mesh of 28mm and a maximum drop of 3 metres. The net must not contain a pocket or be fixed.

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SpearA spear or spear gun may be used to take fish without the aid of SCUBA and in waters not specifically closed to this method of fishing.

Size limits Legal size limits apply for a range of fish species that are taken recreationally (Appendix 1). Size limits have been introduced mainly for the purpose of allowing the fish to grow to sexual maturity before being able to be legally retained.

Bag limits A range of species are restricted by the number that may be taken and possessed by recreational fishers (Appendix 1). Bag limits are output controls designed to conserve heavily exploited species, spread the catch more equitably among fishers and reduce the illegal marketing of fish.

ClosuresThe Regulation contains a range of different types of closures for recreational fishers. They are areas where:

no fish may be taken or possessed specified fish may not be taken or possessed fishing lines and rods may not be used nets may not be used spear fishing is not permitted

Indigenous fishery management arrangementsThe following information was sourced from Roelofs (2003). The indigenous communities in the Gulf communities use traditional fishing methods for traditional and customary purposes, as well as recreational and limited commercial fishing practices to catch finfish and crabs. Traditional fishing methods include the use of spear, stone fish traps and nets and are used to supply product solely for community use. The commercial and recreational fishing methods used by traditional owners are the same as for the rest of the fishery and are subject to commercial and recreational fisheries legislation. The legislation does not limit an Aborigine’s or Torres Strait Islander’s right to take, use or keep fish under Aboriginal traditional or Island custom.

4. Environmental Assessment of the Fishery Please see Parts C and D of the Assessment.

5. Management measures and safeguards to ensure ecological sustainability A consolidated list of specific measures intended to prevent, minimise or compensate for the potential environmental impacts of the fishery, and measures to rehabilitate damage to the environment is contained in Appendix 8.

6. Monitoring and Management Alternatives Current monitoring processes for the fishery are elaborated in the current draft assessment. Proposed monitoring processes and feasible alternative management arrangements for the fishery will be outlined in the proposed Management Plan.

7. Information Sources Sources of information used in the assessment are cited appropriately and where known, reliability and uncertainty of the information have been acknowledged.

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Assessment of the Management Regime against General Requirements of the Guidelines

According to the ‘Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries’ a fishery management regime is required to satisfy a number of criteria. The management regime must:

1. Take into account arrangements in other jurisdictions, and adhere to arrangements established under Australian Laws and International agreements

Offshore Constitutional Settlement Agreement Responsibility for the management of inshore fin fish species that make up the Queensland East Coast Inshore Fin fish Fishery (ECIFF) was delegated to the Queensland Government through the gazettal of the Offshore Constitutional Settlement (OCS) made with the Commonwealth Government in 1988 and renewed in 1995. The OCS agreement recognises the ceding of management responsibility in relation to finfish (other than tuna and tuna-like fishes) in Commonwealth waters off the Queensland east coast to the State. The OCS agreement included the provision for rescinding the agreement by either party, with six months notice of intent. Such an action would mean that the State would only be responsible for the management of fisheries in State waters out to 3 nautical miles instead of offshore to the 400m isobath.

In effect, the OCS agreement aims to avoid subdividing a single fishery stock under separate jurisdictions. This allows a fishery based on that stock to be managed under a single management regime, so boundaries are minimised and enforcement and administration costs are reduced (Retif et al. 1996).

Arrangements with New South Wales Fishers from NSW are allowed to fish in the Queensland ECIFF if they hold a Queensland Primary commercial Fishing boat Licence endorsed with a relevant fishery symbol (e.g. a ‘K’ symbol to operate seine nets on southern Qld beaches).DPI&F has conducted collaborative research with the NSW scientists on key commercial and recreational species taken in the ECIFF (e.g. Halliday 1992 on sea mullet and Miskiewicz 1996 on tailor stocks).

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area The ECIFF area lies adjacent to and within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. GBR Marine Park / World Heritage Area Management and complementary State Marine Park Zoning have a major influence on the nature and location of commercial and recreational fishing activities. This will continue into the future and is likely to have significant economic impacts on the fishery and the coastal communities they support.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act) articulates that certain actions that are likely to have significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance are subject to a rigorous assessment and approval process. Matters of national significance identified in the Act as triggers for the Commonwealth assessment and approval regime are:

World Heritage properties;

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Ramsar wetlands; listed threatened species and ecological communities; listed migratory species; Commonwealth marine areas; and nuclear actions (including uranium mining).

The Act also promotes conservation of biodiversity by providing protection of: listed species and communities in Commonwealth areas (listed threatened

species and ecological communities, listed migratory species and listed marine species);

cetaceans in Commonwealth waters and outside Australian waters; protected species of the Territories of Christmas Island, Cocos Islands and

Coral Sea Islands; protected areas (World Heritage properties; Ramsar wetlands; Biosphere

reserves; Commonwealth reserves and conservation zones); and wildlife species and wildlife products subject to international trade.

Protection is provided for by: the identification of key threatening processes; the protection of critical habitat; the preparation of recovery plans, threat abatement plans, wildlife

conservation plans, bioregional plans, and conservation agreements; the issuing of conservation orders; and the regulation of exports and imports of live animals and plants, wildlife

specimens and products made or derived from wildlife.

Of potential relevance to the ECIFF are listed threatened species, listed marine species and listed migratory species. Listed species are discussed in the responses to Guidelines 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.4 and 2.2.6. There are no ecological communities listed under the Act within the ECIFF managed area. Under the Act, a fishery needs to demonstrate that it is managed in an ecologically sustainable manner to allow the continued export of marine species harvested. This document is the DPI&F response to that requirement.

Convention for the Protection of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage 1972 Australia is signatory to the Convention for the Protection of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage 1972. The most significant feature of the Convention is to link together in a single document the concepts of nature conservation and the preservation of cultural sites. By signing the Convention, each country pledges to conserve not only the World Heritage sites in its territory, but also to protect its natural heritage.

The management regime should also:

2. Be Documented, Publicly Available and Transparent

The ECIFF is managed under the Fisheries Act 1994 (the Fisheries Act) and the Fisheries Regulation 1995 (the Regulation). The most recent version of the Fisheries Act and the Regulation is available at: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Legislation

Summaries on the status of Queensland’s major inshore fin fish fishery resources have been released publicly in ‘Fisheries Resource Condition and Trend Reports’

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(e.g. Williams, pers comm.). These reports contain interpreted catch rate trends for the major species harvested in the fishery derived from fishery catch and effort data. Trends in catches and fishing effort are highlighted and assessments made about potential sustainability concerns.

Fishery resource status reports, annual catch statistics, and updates on fishery research are available on the DPI&F internet web site located at: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb

Catch and fishing effort information for commercial and recreational inshore fin fish fishery resources are presented in printable map form available from the Coastal Habitat Resources Information System (CHRIS) web site located at: http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au/chris

In addition, the stakeholder-based Finfish Management Advisory Committee (Finfish MAC) is instrumental in providing advice from a broad range of interests for management of the fishery. DPI&F stock assessment reports are provided to key stakeholders upon request.

3. Be Developed through a Consultative Process Providing Opportunity to all Interested and Affected Parties, Including the General Public

Historically, the ECIFF has developed through management addressing concerns about the sustainability of harvesting pressure on inshore fish stocks. Early legislation was introduced via the Fisheries Act 1877. This Act protected fish stocks through closures, licensing, restrictions on the type and use of fishing nets in salt and fresh waters and controls on the minimum size at which species may be taken by commercial or recreational fishers. Subsequent legislative changes relating to management of inshore fin fish resources (including protection of fish habitat) were made in 1914, 1918, 1932, 1935, 1945, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1974, 1976, 1984, 1989 and 1994.

In 1996, following extensive discussions by the then Queensland Fisheries Management Authority’s (QFMA) Subtropical Inshore Finfish Management Advisory Committee, (Subtropical MAC’4), a Discussion Paper to guide sustainable management of temperate/subtropical species in the ECIFF was prepared for public comment. An extensive public consultation process was conducted through port meetings and the opportunity for interested parties to forward submissions to the QFMA was provided.

It was originally proposed to develop an inshore finfish management plan for the northern area of the ECIFF and an inshore finfish management plan for the southern area. This addressed some of the difficulties associated with developing a plan for such an extensive fishery and differences in management between tropical and temperate species. Given that there is no clear line between southern and northern species and that pelagic species move from one area to another, the decision was taken to incorporate the inshore finfish species from both areas into the one proposed management plan.

4 One of the two inaugural inshore finfish management advisory committees that combined to

form the Finfish Management Advisory Committee in 2000. The other was the Tropical Finfish Management Advisory Committee.

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Since that time, development of the ECIFF has largely been conducted with advice from the DPI&F stakeholder based Finfish MAC5. The Finfish MAC will be instrumental in identifying issues considered in a proposed management plan.

4. Ensure that a Range of Expertise and Community Interests are Involved in Individual Fishery Management Committees and during the Stock Assessment Process

Since 1995, Management Advisory Committees have provided advice to the State’s fisheries management agency on development of strategic management for the ECIFF. Finfish MAC includes members with experience in commercial and recreational fishing; processing/marketing, conservation, enforcement, scientific research and marine protected area management and is led by an independent Chair. Specialist scientific and technical advice is provided through a number of sub-committees. Stock assessments of the fishery and consultation with industry are used as a basis for reviewing and amending management arrangements.

5. Be Strategic, Containing Objectives and Performance Criteria by Which the Effectiveness of the Management Arrangements are Measured

The Queensland Government is committed to managing fisheries resources according to the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development. The Fisheries Act is the legislation by which this may be achieved. The main purpose of the Fisheries Act is to provide for the use, conservation and enhancement of the community’s fisheries resources and fish habitats in a way that seeks to: (a) apply and balance the principles of ecologically sustainable development; and (b) promote ecologically sustainable development.

The “principles of ecologically sustainable development” referred to above include issues such as intergenerational equity, the precautionary principle, protection of biodiversity and the enhancement of social and community well being. These broad objectives are being addressed in the management of fish stocks and fishery ecosystem sustainability through fisheries dependent and independent data analysis, research into bycatch and by-product species, for example threadfins (Welch et al. 2002), input controls on commercial effort, output controls (MLS, recreational bag limits and a TAC for tailor and spotted mackerel) and habitat protection of inshore finfish species.

6. Be Capable of Controlling the Level of Harvest in the Fishery Using Input and/or Output Controls

The Regulation provides the legislative platform to control the level of harvest within the ECIFF. This is primarily achieved through a combination of input control measures including defined fishery area boundaries, permanent and seasonal closures and gear restrictions. There are also output controls including restrictions on the weight of some target and byproduct species that may be retained (e.g. tailor). These are discussed more fully in the section on Current Regulatory Management Arrangements and in the response to Guideline 1.1.7.

5 Finfish MAC includes commercial, recreational and indigenous fisher representatives,

scientists and representatives of conservation agencies and non-government organisations

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7. Contain the Means of Enforcing Critical Aspects of the Management Arrangements

Compliance LevelsCompliance levels in the ECIFF are consistently high. During 2004, 21,200 recreational fishing units were inspected with a compliance rate of 94.5%. With respect to commercial net fishing units, a total of 496 were inspected with a compliance rate of 91% (QBFP, unpublished data).

Emergency Fisheries DeclarationsUnder s.46 of the Fisheries Act, the DPI&F may make an Emergency Fisheries Declaration effecting an emergency closed season, closed waters declaration or regulated fish declaration. Such a declaration may be made only if the DPI&F is satisfied that urgent action is needed to meet a significant threat to fisheries resources or a fish habitat or another emergency. The DPI&F must publish the declaration but is not required to enter into consultation about the declaration. The declaration expires within 2 months of its gazettal unless repealed earlier. Where the declaration is inconsistent with a Regulation or Management Plan, the declaration expires 21 days after gazettal, unless repealed earlier.

8. Provide for the Periodic Review of the Performance of the Fishery Management Arrangements and the Management Strategies, Objectives and Criteria

Management arrangements and strategies for the ECIFF are currently under review by DPI&F through the Finfish MAC. A management plan for the ECIFF has been proposed. Summaries of annual statistics of Queensland’s ECIFF resources are released publicly as fishery status reports [e.g. Queensland’s fisheries resources: Current condition and recent trends 1988–2000 (Williams 2002)], published on the web at: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/

9. Be Capable of Assessing, Monitoring and Avoiding, Remedying or Mitigating any Adverse Impacts on the Wider Marine Ecosystem in which the Target Species Lives and the Fishery Operates

Relatively recent measures contributing to the reduction of fishing pressure on target and non-target species have been implemented, including a significant reduction in the commercial tailor catch through a mandatory Total Allowable Commercial Catch and a ban on commercial netting on the ocean beaches of Fraser Island to protect the spawning stock. Similarly, a mandatory Total Allowable Commercial Catch and a ban on commercial netting of spotted mackerel have been introduced.

DPI&F has identified that eliminating latent effort in the ECIFF is required to ensure the future sustainability of the ECIFF. As a consequence, a 40% reduction in the total number of fishery symbols (with the exclusion of bait net fishery symbols) in the ECIFF has occurred over the past twelve months.

Total commercial fishing closures (ROFAs) have been established in Pumicestone Passage, Trinity Inlet and the eastern beaches of Fraser Island. Net fishing in these once important local commercial fisheries is now prohibited. The use of recreational fishing gear (including cast nets and small haul nets) is still allowed.

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Since 1997, Dugong Protection Areas (DPAs) have been in place between Hinchinbrook Channel and the Great Sandy Straits to minimise interaction between dugong and netting operations. These DPAs support high numbers of dugong. Commercial fishing with set mesh nets is totally prohibited in DPA ‘A’ areas and occurs under strict conditions within DPA ‘B’ areas.

From July 2004, additional closures introduced via the Commonwealth government’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Representative Areas Program removed commercial net fishing from significant areas of inshore fishing grounds. DPI&F recognises there is potential that these closures will cause effort to be displaced onto adjacent grounds open to net fishing and into other fisheries (most ECIFF fishers have licences that are endorsed to fish in other fisheries, such as line and crab fisheries). DPI&F is considering the implications of this Program and the associated Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan and is developing management strategies to mitigate fishery impacts upon the ecosystem.

In addition, with support from the Queensland Government, the Moreton Bay Catchment and Waterways Partnership, the United Nations Environment Program, the University of Queensland and Cooperative Research Centres for the GBRWHA, Coastal Zone and Estuary and Waterway Management, the State-wide peak body representing commercial fishers in Queensland, the Queensland Seafood Industry Association has initiated voluntary, industry based, environmental management systems (EMSs) that address operational aspects of commercial net fishing in the ECIFF to ensure that fishing impacts on the ecosystem are minimised and sustainable (see Appendix 8 and the response to Guideline 2.3.5).

10. Comply with Relevant Threat Abatement Plans, Recovery Plans, the National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch, and Bycatch Action strategies Developed Under that Policy

Threat Abatement PlansThreat abatement plans are used to direct management, research and other actions required to reduce the impact of key threatening processes on threatened species and communities listed in the EPBC Act 1999. DPI&F is participating in constructive dialogue with other agencies and the Australian Government to develop a threat abatement plan for endangered and vulnerable marine species at risk from harmful marine debris in Queensland and Commonwealth waters (see response to Guideline 2.3.3).

Recovery PlansThere are recovery plans for some threatened ecological communities and species listed in the EPBC Act 1999. These plans set out research and management actions required to stop the decline and support the recovery of listed species and communities. There are two recovery plans that relate to the ECIFF; The Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia prepared by Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage (AGDEH 2003) and the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks prepared by the Australian government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

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Management arrangements (e.g. additional closed areas) and ongoing monitoring against targets for reduced incidence of turtle capture and mortality will be advanced during the development of a proposed ECIFF management plan. Management arrangements consistent with the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks will also be advanced during the development of a management plan. Actions undertaken by the Queensland Government under the Recovery Plan for the Conservation of grey nurse sharks (AGDEH 2003) include the implementation of grey nurse shark protection areas. The type of fishing allowed in these areas is regulated under fisheries legislation.

The National Policy on Fisheries BycatchThe Guiding Principles outlined in the National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch (AFFA 1999) and DPI&F’s responses to them are outlined below. The Guiding Principles of this policy are that decisions and actions to address bycatch will:

Foster stewardship of Australia’s marine resources to maintain and improve the quality, diversity and availability of fisheries resources, and the integrity of the marine ecosystems into the future;

Promote co-operative and transparent approaches, involving all stakeholders, to ensure effective stewardship of our marine resources;

Manage marine resources so that short term considerations are consistent with long-term goals and apply the precautionary principle in the management of fisheries resources;

Recognise the unique biological, ecological, economic and social nature of individual fisheries by developing bycatch-action plans to address bycatch issues;

Encourage co-operation in the development of complementary arrangements between relevant authorities to ensure that, where stocks overlap or are split between jurisdictions or are migratory, effective management strategies are applied across jurisdictions. These include State and territory agencies, other fisheries management agencies, and international bodies; and

Provide robust and practical biological reference points relating to bycatch, where possible, to make decisions on bycatch management. Develop biological reference points in consultation with stakeholders, recognising that in many cases there are limitations to the costs of determining these reference points. Where the use of biological reference points is not feasible, the precautionary principle will be used as a basis for decision-making.

Bycatch in the ocean beach haul net sub-fishery is limited to undersized fish of a few demersal species (eg dart, bream and flathead). Fishers, make determined efforts to release bycatch alive once separated from the catch (Halliday et al. 2001). While management of bycatch is not a significant issue in the ECIFF, plans are being made to develop a code of practice (Bycatch Action Plan) similar to that in the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fin Fish Fishery subsequent to the introduction of a proposed management plan for the ECIFF. Capacity also exists to monitor significant shifts in fish community structures through the DPI&F Long Term Monitoring Program.

To further reduce interactions with protected species such as dugong and turtle, attendance rules for all nets are anticipated in the proposed Management Plan. Similar to Queensland’s trawl fisheries, a Species of Conservation Interest (SoCI) logbook has been implemented in the ECIFF to increase the incidence of reporting interactions with these species.

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Accredited industry training packages, sponsored by the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA), the Australian Seafood Industry Council and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, have been developed to minimise the effects of net fishing on bycatch species. For example, “Bycatch Solutions: The Handbook for Fisher’s in Non-Trawl Fisheries (Leadbitter 1999)” is made widely available to ECIFF commercial fishers through their representative body, the QSIA.

PART B

Table of Contents

Assessment of the Management Regime against Principle 1 .............................3

Management of Target Species................................................................................3

Information Requirements ................................................................................................. 3

Fishery information collection systems........................................................................ 3

Commercial Fisheries Logbook Program (CFISH) ................................................ 4

Recreational Fisheries Information System (RFISH) ............................................ 4

Fisheries Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) ................................................ 4

Level of data collection .................................................................................................. 5

Fishery-dependent data ................................................................................................. 5

Commercial logbooks................................................................................................. 5

Voluntary diaries ......................................................................................................... 6

Recreational fishing competitions ............................................................................ 6

Tropical Resource Assessment Program ............................................................... 6

Shark Phase I .............................................................................................................. 7

Shark Phase II............................................................................................................. 7

Indigenous fisheries ................................................................................................... 8

Fishery dependent data reliability ............................................................................ 9

Fishery independent data ............................................................................................ 10

DPI&F Historical data ............................................................................................... 10

Assessment of fish stocks in coastal streams .................................................. 10

DPI&F Long Term Monitoring Program................................................................. 10

DPI&F habitat mapping............................................................................................ 11

Assessments ..................................................................................................................... 11

Statewide Condition and Trend Reporting ................................................................ 12

Stock Status and Dynamics ........................................................................................ 12

Barramundi ................................................................................................................ 12

Shark........................................................................................................................... 13

Sea mullet .................................................................................................................. 13

Tailor ........................................................................................................................... 14

Small mackerels........................................................................................................ 15

Bream, flathead and whiting.................................................................................... 15

Distribution and spatial structure of target stocks .................................................... 16

Shared fish stocks .................................................................................................... 16

Estimates of fishery removals ..................................................................................... 17

Commercial landings and discards ........................................................................ 17

Recreational Landings ............................................................................................. 17

Charter Landings ...................................................................................................... 17

Indigenous Landings ................................................................................................ 19

Removal estimates in stock assessments ................................................................ 19

Productivity of Target Stocks ...................................................................................... 19

Management responses .................................................................................................. 20

Sustainable fishing reference systems ...................................................................... 20

Management strategies ............................................................................................... 20

Management controls............................................................................................... 20

Commercial fishery ............................................................................................... 20

Emergency Fisheries Declarations ........................................................................ 24

Fishery monitoring systems .................................................................................... 24

DPI&F Long Term Monitoring Program............................................................. 24

Observer Programs .............................................................................................. 24

Log Books .............................................................................................................. 24

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Enforcement and compliance in the ECIFF .......................................................... 25

Recreational Fishery ............................................................................................ 25

Charter Fishery ..................................................................................................... 27

Indigenous Fishery ............................................................................................... 27

Management of By-product Species ......................................................................28

Information Requirements ............................................................................................... 28

Assessments ..................................................................................................................... 28

Commercial Landings .................................................................................................. 29

Recreational landings................................................................................................... 30

Indigenous landings ..................................................................................................... 30

Management responses .................................................................................................. 30

Evaluation of Management Measures ....................................................................... 31

Precautionary Recovery Strategies ........................................................................... 33

List of Tables

Table 1 Estimates of total retained catch (kg) and released (kg) during charter tour

operations in Queensland from 1994 to 2004...................................................... 18

Table 2 History of spotted mackerel (Scomberomorus munroi) management. ............... 23

Table 3 Recreational and Commercial compliance rates ................................................ 25

Table 4 Total recorded landings of by-product species in the ECIFF (t) ........................ 29

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Assessment of the Management Regime against Principle 1

Principle 1: A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing, or for those stocks that are over-fished, the fishery must be conducted such that there is a high degree of probability the stock(s) will recover.

Objective 1. The fishery shall be conducted at catch levels that maintain ecologically viable stock levels at an agreed point or range, with acceptable levels of probability.Management of Target Species

Management of Target Species

Information Requirements

1.1.1 There is a reliable information collection system in place appropriate to the scale of the fishery. The level of data collection should be based upon an appropriate mix of fishery independent and dependent research and monitoring.

The DPI&F believes the information collection systems in place for the ECIFF are comprehensive, robust and reliable. The CFISH data collection system can be improved through validation of logbook data and this is being addressed through the LTMP and onboard fisheries observers. There is an appropriate mix of fishery independent and dependent data, with built in mechanisms to review the relevance and value of the collected information, and the adaptability to shift data collection priorities where necessary.

Fishery information collection systems

The DPI&F has developed and maintains a range of data collection systems for providing up to date information on fish stocks, fish species taken and the level and distribution of fishing effort and fish catches. This information is used by managers to make decisions about maintaining sustainable harvests of principal species and ensuring that relevant provisions of the Queensland Fisheries Regulations 1995 aremet. It is also used by researchers in making scientific assessments about the status of these species and bycatch and by analysts monitoring and interpreting spatial and temporal changes and trends in fishing activity and catch levels.

Data collection systems in use include: the CFISH Daily Fisher Logbook Program, the RFISH Recreational Fishing Surveys and Fishing Diaries, the DPI&F Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) and historic and ongoing DPI fishery research project databases.

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Commercial Fisheries Logbook Program (CFISH)

A comprehensive compulsory daily logbook program for Queensland’s commercial fisheries was introduced in 1988*. Logbooks were introduced primarily as a performance and compliance tool for the fishery. Logbook entries are recorded daily and reported monthly. Prior to this, catch and effort data from specific elements of the fishery were collected as part of short to medium term research projects.

The Commercial Fisheries Information System (CFISH) database was established in 1988 to manage the large flow of data from fishers and provide access to fishery dependent data for fisheries research and management. Information provided by commercial fishers is for the most part invalidated, although there are checks in place to monitor data provision compliance and data irregularities. Quarterly compliance runs on the CFISH database allow checks to be made on lodgement of logbook returns by fishers. Comprehensive range checks are conducted on the data prior to CFISH data analysis to detect anomalies in the logbook entries. Anomalous data that cannot be adequately verified from original logbook records or the fisher are omitted from the analysis dataset.

Recreational Fisheries Information System (RFISH)

Regular surveys on the extent and harvest of recreational fishing are undertaken. In 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2004 a broad based telephone survey was conducted, and a fisher diary program was run throughout 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2005. Estimates of total harvest of major species on a regional basis from these surveys are available and have been reported (e.g. Higgs 2001). These estimates are summarised in response to Guideline 1.1.2. The collected RFISH data is, as yet, not validated.

Fisheries Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP)

A state-wide Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) was initiated by DPI&F in 1999 in response to the needs for collection of long-term trend data for stock assessment of target fish species. The LTMP has a fisheries dependent and fisheries independent monitoring component. Information collected in the program will be linked to existing data sets from DPI&F studies and contribute to the development of stock assessment models to identify how and why changes occur in Queensland’s fisheries resources1.

The objectives of the Long Term Monitoring Program are to; • monitor priority fisheries species on an annual basis to provide data for the assessment of fished stocks, • complement and build upon the information from commercial fisheries logbooks and surveys of Indigenous and recreational fishing, • provide information for reporting the state and sustainability of key fish stocks in Queensland waters.

Species for assessment were selected through a series of Resource Priority Workshops held in 1998 with input from QDPI&F, QFMA and external scientists. These workshops determined the need for long-term fishery independent assessment on the basis of the: • potential risk of over fishing of a species; • size and significance of the fishery; • adequacy of existing data sets; • ability to collect suitable monitoring data and the • existence of suitable indicators about the status of the stock(s).

1 Further information can be found at: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fisheriesmonitoringprogram/

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The species monitored in the ECIFF are barramundi, mullet and tailor and since 2000, all other species caught in the net surveys for barramundi.

The LTMP outputs are reviewed on an as needs arise basis, or as recommended by the Inshore Finfish MAC and other Queensland MACs. At these reviews, the LTMP research and species priorities and the strategic direction of the program is assessed and modified (providing funding can be sourced to cover the additional research). The LTMP outputs are also assessed against meeting the requirements of relevant Queensland fishery management plans, review events and performance criteria.

Level of data collection

There is an appropriate level and mix of fishery dependent and independent data collection for the scale of the ECIFF. Table 3.1 summarises the data sources into type of information collected, the spatial and temporal resolution of the data and the time frame over which the data have been collected.

Compulsory commercial fishery logbook data provides the key source of fishery dependent catch/effort data for the ECIFF and currently forms the primary basis for stock assessment. The ECIFF net fishery logbook (Appendix 7), allows estimated whole weight of the catch to be recorded by species/species group. When combined with information from DPI&F based onboard observer programs, voluntary data collections programs in the recreational and indigenous sectors and extensive fishery independent data collected through DPI&F research programs, comprehensive data are available for stock assessments of the principal target species in the fishery.

Fishery-dependent data

Commercial logbooks

It is compulsory under Queensland law (Section 118 of the Fisheries Act, Section 109 of the Fisheries Regulations) that a fisheries logbook shall be completed correctly for all primary vessels operating in the Queensland fishery. The current compulsory logbook for the ECIFF is the Net and Crab logbook (NC05) which was introduced in 1988 as a Mixed Fishery Logbook and subsequently updated in response to management changes and the need for obtaining more accurate information on the catch and protected species interactions.

Provision to record protected species interactions on the Set Net and Crab Fisheries logbook was transferred to a 'Species of Conservation Interest' (SOCI) reporting logbook (SOCI01) (response to Guideline 2.2.1). The SOCI logbook is in a generic format that facilitates the accurate reporting of fishery interactions with all protected species in Commonwealth and Qld State waters (see Appendix 9). The SOCI logbook was distributed to fishers in all Queensland commercial fisheries in October 2003.

It is compulsory for fishers to accurately complete a daily fishing log on each day that fishing activity takes place. Completed log sheets are to be submitted to the DPI&F Logbook Section no later than 15 days after the end of the month of fishing activity. Information reported in the NC05 logbook includes:

fishing location (latitude/longitude or logbook grids sites (6’ lat/long), fishing effort (days fished e.g., net in the water), net mesh size and net length, target species, net set location and

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catch (species number, weight and product form (fillets, trunks, whole, gutted).

Catch information on frequently retained species is recorded separately on the logbook sheets to provide further information on each species. The species reported in the logbooks include barramundi, king threadfin, blue threadfin, bream, tailor, mullet, whiting, flathead, garfish, mackerel species, hammerhead and whaler sharks. There is also space for catches of at least two other species identified by the fisher (Appendix 7).

Voluntary diaries

Information on recreational fishing catch and effort in the east coast regions of Queensland has been collected periodically since 1996 as part of a regular state-wide RFISH telephone surveys. The telephone surveys use a representative sample of the Queensland population to gain information about the fishing activity of Queensland residents. As part of these surveys, volunteers are asked to maintain a personal diary of their fishing activities over a 12 month period. Information recorded in the diaries provide an estimate of the recreational harvest by Queensland residents as well as information on effort (days/hours fished), fishing method (bait, lures etc.), fishing type (boat or land based), catch (species, length, number caught/released) and the number of fishers. The recreational fishing diary program has been conducted in 1996/1997, 1998/1999 and 2001/2002 with a survey currently in progress.

National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (NHT/FRDC)The National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing (NRIF) Survey conducted in 2000/2001 included about 17,000 Queensland recreational fishers in a voluntary 12 month diary program. This survey provided details on fishing trips, costs and catches. Key findings from the survey are summarized below. It is anticipated that the NRIF results will provide valuable additional catch information to aid future stock assessments of major ECIFF species.

Recreational fishing competitions

Fishing competitions provide valuable long-term data on target species size structure, catch composition and length–weight relationships (Roelofs 2002). The Qld east coast has two major angling tournaments every year held at Stradbroke Island and at Fraser Island. In the past, recreational fishing competition catch data was collected as a condition of permit under section 35 of the Fisheries Regulations 1995.Recently provisions to regulate these activities were removed from the legislation, making permits no longer required and hence catch data is not provided to DPI&F from these activities.

Tropical Resource Assessment Program

The Tropical Resource Assessment Program (TRAP) Phase I, Development of models described the stock dynamics and exploitation of key commercial species in North Queensland fisheries (FRDC Project 1995/049).

TRAP Phase I collated and analysed commercial logbook and historic research data from 1985 to 1997. Stock assessment models were developed for barramundi, and baseline fisheries data collated on the 10 priority species groups (as reported in the commercial logbooks) for the ECIFF. These species groups were (in order of highest to lowest catch) - barramundi, shark, mullet, small mackerels, blue threadfin, grey mackerel, king threadfin, grunter, dart, trevally and queenfish (Magro et al.1998).Data gaps in biological information and the need for an observer program were

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identified by the Stock Assessment Expert Workshop held in Cairns as part of TRAP (Phase I). Results of the TRAP Phase I study are reported in Magro et al. (1998) and Gribble (1998).

Several sawfish species are considered vulnerable in Australia, especially tropical species (see Pogonoski et al. 2002). The freshwater sawfish (Pristis microdon) is listed as a threatened conservation status (EPBC Act 1999). Only limited information currently exists on the bycatch of sawfish in the ECIFF. Observer studies looking at sawfish as bycatch in the GOCIFF are also providing valuable data for the management of this group of fishes on the east coast.

Shark Phase I

Northern Australian Sharks and Rays: the sustainability of target and bycatch fisheries, Phase I. (FRDC Project 2001/077).

The Shark Phase I project was essentially a pilot project for the larger project Shark Phase II (see below). It was conducted for a twelve month period from June 2001 with the objectives: • to workshop with stakeholders and fishery managers on issues and concerns for the Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australian tropical shark fisheries; • to workshop a new Shark Identification manual with shark fishers (FRDC project 2000/105);• to carry out \pilot fishery observer programs in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australian tropical shark fisheries to (1) develop fisher cooperation and observer protocols, (2) determine shark catch composition, and (3) determine conversion ratios for shark fins to the whole animal.

The project successfully met all its objectives and provided a basis for the Shark Phase II project (see Rose et al. 2003).

Shark Phase II

Northern Australian Sharks and Rays: the sustainability of target and bycatch fisheries, Phase II. (FRDC Project 2002/064).

The Shark Phase II project began in July 2002 and will be completed by mid-2005. It is the Queensland Government’s response to the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Shark) with respect to assessment of risk among tropical shark species to ensure that catches in the ECIFF and GOCIFF are sustainable. It is a cooperative project between the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland, CSIRO Division of Marine Research, Northern Territory Department of Business Industries and Resource Development, Fisheries Department of Western Australia, and Natural Resources and Environment Victoria.

The project addresses an identified lack of comprehensive data on the composition, size/weight frequency and geographic distribution of chondrichthyan (shark, ray and sawfish) populations targeted or caught incidentally in commercial fisheries of tropical Australia. The project will provide preliminary information necessary for stock assessments of the principal target shark species (Carcharhinus tilstoni and C.sorrah) as well as provide vital biological information specifically on sawfishes as well as any other elasmobranchs taken, to enable a more robust assessment of the impact of fisheries on this group.

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Tagged and released sawfish specimens will provide estimates of growth and movement for the species that are essential for assessing species status and implementing appropriate conservation initiatives. Shark Phase II builds on the outcomes of the successful stakeholder and shark identification workshops held in Cairns and Darwin in November 2001 and on the data collected through the pilot fishery observer programs in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia that were completed in Shark Phase I (FRDC Project 2001/077). The Phase II project will be completed in mid-2005.

The project was established with the following objectives; 1. Establishment of long-term collection of catch composition data from target shark fisheries in northern Australia (NT Joint Authority Shark Fishery, NT Coastal Net Fishery, QLD Joint Authority Shark Fishery, QLD N9 Shark Fishery, WA Joint Authority Shark Fishery, WA North Coast Shark Fishery, QLD East Coast Net Fishery) in order to improve stock assessments. 2. To determine the appropriate management scale for the target species of northern Australian shark fisheries, by examining the degree to which stocks are shared across northern Australia and with Indonesia. 3. To evaluate the effect of gillnet fishing on chondrichthyans by determining bycatch composition (QLD east coast Gillnet fishery, QLD N3 and N9 fisheries, NT barramundi fishery, WA Kimberley gillnet and barramundi fishery). 4. To derive estimates of biological parameters to assess the status of sawfish and other elasmobranch populations, and their age structure, reproduction and growth. 5. To re-evaluate the risk assessment of northern chondrichthyans based on information from the Northern Prawn Fishery (Stobutzki 2002) and on the new information collected above.

The risk assessment has been made compatible with that undertaken in FRDCProject 2002/033 (PI Terry Walker) and is consistent with the NPOA-shark priority for a national approach to risk assessment for chondrichthyans. The project aims to enable effective and sustainable fisheries management for target shark fisheries within Queensland and in northern Australia. This will be achieved through provision of data necessary to (1) enable these fisheries to improve stock assessments, (2) to ensure management is at the appropriate scale for stocks, (3) to address some of the EPBC Act guidelines and (4) align with the NPOA-Shark.

Shark Phase II will examine the impact of fishing on chondrichthyans across northern Australia. Information gathered from the project will enable managers to prioritise species for future management, contribute to the EPBC Act assessment of fisheries that catch chondrichthyans as bycatch, and align with the broader issues raised in the NPOA-Shark.

The DPI&F is managing the tropical shark species group with a precautionary approach until forthcoming, reliable information on their biology, distribution and catch composition has been collated and the preliminary risk assessment (Gribble etal. 2004) completed (see Guideline 1.1.2).

Indigenous fisheries

Information for the Indigenous fisheries sector of the ECIFF is limited. An Indigenous Subsistence Fishing Survey Kit was developed jointly by Queensland DPI, the Environment Protection Agency and the Balkanu Aboriginal Development Corporation in 1998 to provide information on fishing activities in Indigenous communities and its use is being widely promoted. A community led fisheries resource assessment based on the objectives outlined in the Indigenous Subsistence

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Fishing Survey Kit was started at Kowanyama, Gulf of Carpentaria in April 2003 (S. Helmke, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2003). It is anticipated that this program may also be implemented in future in east coast indigenous communities through the Queensland Government Cape York Partnership Program.

Information has also been gathered on the level of traditional harvest of finfish in the Indigenous sector of the ECCIFF during the National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey. The results of this survey were published in 2003.

Fishery dependent data reliability

Fishery dependent data sources for the ECIFF are currently the best fishery statistics and information collection systems available. The DPI&F LTMP, for example, is assisting with improving the level and accuracy of fisheries catch information reported through a level of validation of the CFISH logbook data.

Logbook information is inherently reliant on the goodwill and honesty of the operator. Commercial operators in the ECIFF, appear to be committed to compliance with the Fisheries Regulations (e.g. providing logbook information). Despite this commitment by fishery operators, DPI&F recognizes that a greater emphasis on validation of on board and ‘at the net’ catch information is required to ensure logbook data accurately represent catches in the ECIFF and is looking to enhance the prospect of total catch validation through buyers returns.

To ensure that historical commercial logbook data for the ECIFF used in initial stock assessments for barramundi is reliable, the DPI&F Tropical Resource Assessment Program (TRAP) completed re-entry of logbook data from 1985 to 1988 (re-punched and rechecked) and discrepancies between databases (logbook overlap from 1988 to 1990) have been reconciled to provide a continuous time series for modelling exercises (Magro et al. 1998, Gribble 1998). Industry and government held workshops inform and improve fishers’ knowledge on fisheries issues in the ECIFF.

FRDC funded workshops on Northern Australian Sharks and Rays were held in Cairns and Darwin in 2001 to discuss sustainability issues of the Northern Shark Fisheries. One of the aims of the workshop was to improve the ability of fishers to identify different shark species that are caught in the fishery. This would improve logbook data reliability and give more accurate information towards stock assessments of the different species taken in the shark fishery.

New data from logbook returns are scrutinised for discrepancies or fisheries regulation breaches. The Logbook Section investigates any discrepancies in commercial catch information provided by fishers to ensure data reliability when data are received. Enforcement officers from the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol assist the verification process by follow-up investigating of abnormal catch and logbook entries when they undertake fishing vessel inspections during surveillance patrols.

The commercial, recreational and Indigenous sectors are regularly checked for fisheries regulations compliance. The QBFP provides a compliance report detailing breaches of the Fisheries Act and prosecutions broken down in to each fishing sector within the fishery for the period leading up to each Finfish MAC meeting. Enforcement priorities in the ECIFF are discussed by Finfish MAC members at each meeting and forwarded to the QBFP representative for consideration in future operations (see also Guideline 1.1.7 - Enforcement and compliance in the ECIFF). Finfish MAC meetings are held a minimum of 2 times a year.

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Fishery independent data

DPI&F Historical data

Assessment of fish stocks in coastal streams Between 1996 and 1999, the Queensland Government allocated funds to improve the level of fishery independent information on fish stocks in Queensland coastal streams. The program included (as part of a Queensland wide study) detailed assessment of several major tropical east coast streams (including the Johnstone, Mulgrave, Barron, Daintree and Annan Rivers). The project had these objectives:

To provide better fisheries resource information to fisheries management agencies for decisions on management and allocation of access to recreational, commercial and traditional users.

To provide information to be used as a basis for protection of fisheries resources and habitats.

To meet these objectives, the project: Developed a Geographical Information System (GIS) integrating existing

information on fish stocks in priority tropical east coast streams, Determined species of key importance to commercial, recreational and

Indigenous fishers Undertook a detailed survey of fish stocks in each stream, Described movement and growth of key finfish species and mud crabs from

tagging studies in the several streams, Provided relevant information to the DPI for consideration of habitat protection

needs.The project provided a broad data collection catchment that assisted in the formation of the LTMP.

DPI&F Long Term Monitoring Program

The Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) collects fishery independent information on barramundi, incidental bycatch and freshwater fish species from the Burdekin River in central Queensland. A Coastal CRC study investigating the Environmental Flow Needs of Estuarine Communities has collected similar data from the Fitzroy River, central Queensland. Each of these rivers is a major fishing location for barramundi. Since 2001, fishery independent data has been collected in each river at least once-a-year using a standardised gillnetting program with gillnets set at river and foreshore sites.

The location of each sampling site is defined by nominated river features, knowledge of the local fishers and known barramundi habitat preferences. Fish are length measured, weighed and sexed and then returned to the water. Water quality is also monitored at each sampling site. A complimentary fishery dependent program delivers otoliths for age structure analysis. The LTMP produces regular summary newsletters for each priority species that are sent to stakeholders and are also available on the DPI&F website: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/

Data collected from 2000 to 2002 is being used to monitor the barramundi resource on the Qld east coast.

LTMP research data on the barramundi fishery in the EC so far support the catch rate trends evident in the logbook information, however these are only preliminary data sets and longer term information is required to understand and monitor

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effectively the catch trends in the commercial, recreational and Indigenous sectors of the ECIFF.

The LTMP survey program is adaptable in that the analysis of LTMP data can identify ECIFF knowledge and resource gaps and can suggest priorities for research to the Finfish MAC for consideration. Conversely, the Finfish MAC process may identify management priorities for monitoring and research from its stakeholder members that the LTMP can then consider integrating into the data collection process. The LTMP activities are reviewed every year and as new priorities are supported by Finfish MAC.

The current LTMP monitoring and research priorities receive core State Government funding, however, additional funding would need to be sourced for any additions to the priority species list. Grey mackerel have been acknowledged by DPI&F as requiring more research and a stock assessment project (coordinated with the NT DBIRD) is currently underway as the first step in the process.

DPI&F habitat mapping

Marine plant communities are vital to fisheries productivity, providing food and habitat to many recreational and commercial fish species (Quinn 1993). The continual improvement of our knowledge of the distribution, composition and status of marine plant communities and their associated fauna communities is vital for identifying and characterizing key high productivity areas that may require special fisheries management attention (e.g., fisheries closures). Fine scale knowledge of seagrass areas adjacent to coastal human populations is also being obtained through DPI&F leadership of community-based long-term seagrass monitoring. Seagrass-Watch, Danaher (1995) mapped Mangrove, saltpan and marine swamp areas of the Cape York Peninsula using remote sensing technologies (30 m x 30 m pixel resolution) for the Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy.

The seagrass distribution of the Qld east coast has been mapped during a broad-scale survey of seagrasses and their associated penaeid prawn communities by DPI&F from 1988 to 1993. The DPI&F has also conducted fine-scale seagrass surveys of the Ports of Cape Flattery (Ayling et al, 1997), Lucinda, and Mourilyan (McKenzie et al, 1996; Thomas & Rasheed, 2004) and a number of tropical east coast streams (e.g. the Annan and Endeavour Rivers). Detailed maps have been produced from these comprehensive surveys from which changes in distribution and composition can be accurately measured to give valuable ecological information for the fish species that use these habitats as nursery and feeding areas. Conclusions on the ecological health of each area can then be drawn from this information and assist in planning for habitat protection. Information is also available at the DPI&F Coastal Habitat Resources Information System website chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au and the Ports Corporation of Queensland website: www.pcq.com.au .

Assessments

1.1.2 There is a robust assessment of the dynamics and status of principal species in the fishery and periodic review of the process and the data collected. Assessment should include a process to identify any reduction in biological diversity and /or reproductive capacity. Review should take place at regular intervals but at least every three years.

The Inshore Fin Fish Management Advisory Committee (MAC) has identified the following principal species in the commercial fishery: barramundi, mullet, small mackerels, sharks and gar. Tailor has been a principal species in the past but from

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2002 commercial catch has been capped at 120 tonnes annually. The principal species for the recreational fishery are tailor, bream, whiting and flathead.

Stocks of barramundi, mullet, gar, tailor, bream, whiting and flathead are considered to be sustainable at the present level of fishing effort, and the DPI&F is currently taking steps to ensure effort does not move into these fisheries from operations displaced from other fisheries (see section 1.1.7).

Spotted mackerel has been identified in the past as species of sustainability concern and in response the DPI&F implemented various measures include a TACC quota of 140 tonnes and a reduction in the recreational in-possession limit in 2003. The stock assessment on spotted mackerel outlined below has taken into account the measures to cap catch in their assessment of the fishery.

Shark exploitation levels are of concern because of our limited biological and spatial information and the MAC has identified the species as a high priority for management measures in a future management plan.

Where there is an absence of specific biological and spatial information, the DPI&F recognizes its responsibility to manage all species using a precautionary approach. While management controls in place for many of the ECIFF species safeguard sustainable individual fisheries, the DPI&F and MAC are working towards a more integrated approach to management for the whole fishery through the development of a management plan, with particular emphasis on those species of potential sustainability concern, such as shark.

Statewide Condition and Trend Reporting

Statewide summaries on the status of ECIFF resources are released publicly in regular ‘Fisheries Resource Condition and Trend Reports’ (e.g. Williams 2002). These reports contain interpreted catch rate trends for the major fished species/species groups derived from CFISH catch and effort data (Appendix 2). Changing catch rates, both regionally and Statewide are highlighted, and assessments about potential sustainability problems reported to fishery managers and the public.

Stock Status and Dynamics

Assessment of the target species in the ECIFF is undertaken using a range of techniques. Review of catch rate and effort data from fisher logbooks is undertaken routinely (e.g. Williams 2002). More detailed stock assessments have been undertaken for several principal east coast commercial and recreational target species including barramundi (Welch et al 2002), shark (Gribble et al. 2004a, Rose etal. 2003), sea mullet (Bell et al. 2004), small mackerels (Cameron and Begg 2002, Ward et al. 2003), tailor (Brown et al. 1999, Leigh et al. 2004), and bream, flathead and whiting (O’Neill 2000, Hoyle et al. 2000).

Barramundi

An assessment of the east coast barramundi stock was published in 2002 showing catches on the East Coast have been relatively stable since 1981 with the highest catches being recorded for the last four years. Effort slowly decreased until the early 1990s and has been stable since then (Welch et al. 2002).

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A biomass dynamic model was fitted to CPUE data from the East Coast barramundi fishery and indicated that barramundi stocks have been increasing steadily since the mid 1980s. Welch suggests that this apparent recovery is probably a result of effort restrictions and seasonal closures enforced over the past few decades. Current stocks on the East Coast appear to be healthy and current levels of fishing effort appear to be sustainable.

Shark

As mentioned in the response to Guideline 1.1.1, work towards a validated stock assessment across northern Australia of the Australian blacktip whaler and the sorrah whaler (principal species of the tropical shark fishery) is progressing through the collaboration of CSIRO Marine Research, Northern Territory Department of Business Industries and Resource Development, Fisheries Department of Western Australia, Natural Resources and Environment (Victoria) and the Department of Primary Industries, Queensland (FRDC 2002/064 Shark Phase II).

Catches of sharks in general on the East Coast of Queensland have dramatically increased over the past five years. A preliminary assessment of the Queensland East Coast Shark catch was undertaken in 2003 (Rose et al. 2003) and was updated in 2004 (Gribble et al. 2004a), using the method of Stobutzki et al. (2002) for assessment of risk to the sustainability of elasmobranches in the Northern Prawn Fishery. The assessment was constrained by the small number of fishing trips where observers were allowed on board to monitor the catch.

The following sustainability estimates were made by Gribble et al. (2004a) for what is thought to be the major commercially exploited species in the Queensland East Coast shark fishery:

a low relative risk to sustainability among the species assessed was for Rhizoprionodon taylori (graceful shark) and Carcharhinus melanopterus (blacktip reef shark - although if fishing pressure increased there would be a dramatic increase in risk for this species);

low to moderate relative risk to sustainability: Carcharhinus tilstoni (Australian blacktip shark), Carcharhinus sorrah (spot-tail shark);

moderate to high relative sustainability risk: Sphyrna lewini (scalloped hammerhead shark) and

highest relative risk to sustainability: Sphyrna mokarran (great hammerhead shark) and Rhynchobatus djiddensis (white-spotted guitarfish).

The major conclusions from the sustainability assessment are: 1. Information is urgently required on the biology, stock structure and optimal

harvesting of Queensland East Coast sharks. 2. Consideration be given to management intervention for high risk species,

particularly for some hammerheads and guitarfish. 3. It is recommended that a further review of the sustainability of sharks and rays

reported in the ECIFF be conducted following the proposed implementation of a management plan for the fishery.

Sea mullet

Bell et al. (2004) constructed a mathematical model to assess the past and present condition of the Queensland and New South Wales commercial sea mullet (Mugilcephalus) fishery, and used it to predict the behaviour of the fishery into the future.

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Draft Queensland East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery Ecological Assessment

Principle One

The results suggest that the sea mullet stock has been heavily exploited since the fishery’s introduction over 100 years ago, so much so that over the last decade fishing mortality has accounted for around 2 out of every 3 deaths. Current biomass appears to be approximately 60% of the virgin level.

It is also clear that recruitment to the fishery is a highly variable process. Recruitment appears to have dropped significantly around 1993 and not fully recovered since, despite the observation of reasonably constant catch rates. Furthermore, in recent years (2001 and 2002), the recruitment appears to have declined to particularly low levels. The forecasting results suggest that relatively low catch rates may be observed this year and next (2004 to 2005), due mainly to the reduction in recruitment.

Major recommendations include that: Another stock assessment be conducted in about three years, by which time

more data will be available for clarification of the recruitment dynamics. Action be taken with a view to reducing effort if catch rates drop within the

next three years. The Queensland Long Term Monitoring Program be extended to capture the

age, length and sex structure of the estuarine component of the fishery.

Tailor

Data on catch sizes, catch rates, length-frequency and age composition from the Australian east coast tailor fishery were analysed by Leigh et al. (2004) using three different population dynamic models: a surplus production model, an age-structured model, and a model in which the population is structured by both age and length.

The population is found to be very heavily exploited, with its ability to reproduce dependent on the fishery’s incomplete selectivity of one-year-old fish. Estimates of recent harvest rates (proportion of fish available to the fishery that are actually caught in a single year) are over 80%. It is estimated that 30-50% of one-year-old fish are available to the fishery. Results from the age-length-structured model indicate that exploitable biomass (total mass of fish selected by the fishery) and egg production have fallen to about half the levels that prevailed in the 1970s, or about 40% of virgin levels.

Two-year-old fish appear to have become smaller over the history of the fishery. This is assumed to be due to increased fishing pressure combined with non-selectivity of small one-year-old fish, whereby the one-year-old fish that survive fishing are small and grow into small two-year-old fish the following year. An alternative hypothesis is that the stock has undergone a genetic change towards smaller fish. The true explanation is unknown.

The instantaneous natural mortality rate of tailor is hypothesised to be higher than previously thought, with values between 0.8 and 1.3 yr-1 consistent with the models. These values apply only to tailor up to about three years of age, and it is possible that a lower value applies to fish older than three.

The analysis finds no evidence that fishing pressure has yet affected recruitment. If a recruitment downturn were to occur, however, under current effort levels it would be disastrous. Therefore it is necessary to better protect the spawning stock.

The major recommendations are:

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to increase the minimum size limit from 30cm to 40cm in order to allow most one-year-old fish to spawn, and

to experiment on discard mortality to gauge the proportion of fish between 30cm and 40cm that are likely to survive being caught and released by recreational line fishers (the dominant component of the fishery, currently harvesting roughly 1000t p.a. versus about 200t p.a. from the commercial fishery).

Small mackerels

Cameron and Begg (2002) published a report on fisheries biology and interaction in the northern Australian small mackerel fishery (school, spotted, and grey mackerel). The major recommendation that came out of the report was that small mackerel species should be managed with utmost caution until detailed stock assessments are undertaken.

Comprehensive arrangements to cap effort in the spotted mackerel fishery (commercial and recreational), were implemented in 2003 (see response to Guideline1.1.7) and the Inshore Fin Fish MAC is considering arrangements for other lesser mackerel during the development a proposed management plan.

An assessment of the ecological sustainability of the Australian East Coast Spotted Mackerel Fishery was completed in July 2004 (Begg et al. 2004) and is the most comprehensive attempt to evaluate the status of spotted mackerel. The assessment brought together the biological relationships on spotted mackerel growth, natural mortality and spawning and included estimated historical catches priori to the compulsory Queensland logbook system implemented in 1988, and spawner-recruitment relationships.

Biomasses between 1995 and 2001 declined considerably as a result of increasing catches. The results for spotted mackerel indicated the 2002 biomass was above BBmsy. With the commercial capped quota, recreational and commercial harvests combined average a total harvest of about 370 tonnes. The stock assessment model projections show that catches of greater than 400 tonnes have a high risk of reducing the population in relation to MSY.

Bream, flathead and whiting

A detailed statement on the status of yellowfin bream, dusky flathead and sand whiting was made for the Burnett River, Maroochy River and Pumicestone Passage (O’Neill 2000). The report used information on commercial and recreational catches, fish age structure, mortality, reproduction and movement and described additional information on estuarine water quality characteristics and condition of fisheries habitat.

Various outcomes included the following status assessments: bream – fully fished in all three areas flathead – heavily fished in the two rivers and fully fished in the Pumicestone

Passage whiting – heavily fished in the Burnett River and fully fished in the other two

areas.

1.1.3 The distribution and spatial structure of the stocks has been established and factored into management responses.

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Distribution and spatial structure of target stocks

Spatial distributions of total catch and effort for principle species under the FisheriesRegulation 1995 are available from CFISH data, from fishery-independent monitoring, ongoing research projects and a range of published documents on species distribution. The known location of major spawning, pupping, nursery and recruitment grounds have been have been taken into account in managing the harvest of each of the target species. Closures appropriate to the location and timing of abundance in these areas has been progressively implemented over the last few decades and will continue to be reviewed through the development of a management plan, to increase protection of the stocks from overfishing.

Shared fish stocks

Many demersal and pelagic inshore fin fish stocks in waters on the east coast of Queensland are shared with New South Wales, in particular, tailor, spotted mackerel and shark species. Queensland research data on straddling stocks has been shared with, and informed by, New South Wales researchers. Managers from both jurisdictions have entered into discussions to ensure consistent management arrangements for the shared stocks.

Some shark and mackerel stocks may straddle Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory, Western Australian, Indonesian and Papua New Guinean waters. The degree of sharing of GOC fish stocks in terms of catch and genetic overlap with Northern Territory commercial, recreational and Indigenous fisheries is largely species dependent. For instance, tagging studies by CSIRO on the Australian blacktip sharks (a principal component of the shark fishery) has suggested that there is a single large stock across northern Australia and that the stock is shared between NT, QLD and Indonesia. While the Queensland Fisheries Joint Authority manages sharks in the Gulf of Carpentaria under Queensland law, stocks on the east coast are managed by the DPI&F under Queensland law. The Inshore Fin Fish MAC is currently taking into account management arrangements for straddling shark stocks from other jurisdictions in providing advice on the development of arrangements under the proposed East Coast Inshore Finfish Management Plan.

As proposals for a management plan progress, collaboration with New South Wales Fisheries is increasing. Arrangements that are currently being discussed include size and in-possession limits, quota arrangements for tailor and spotted mackerel and a range of proposals for the shark fishery. Outcomes of the series of meetings throughout this year will be included in the possible Management Arrangements paper to be released for public comment when complete.

The target species are also found in the Commonwealth’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Inshore Fin Fish MAC has always had representation from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in providing advice for consistent management arrangements in State and Commonwealth waters for inshore species. The DPI&F has had some input into GBRMPA’s Representative Areas Program and the GBRMPA representative on the MAC is intimately involved in the development of the PMA and proposed management plan.

1.1.4 There are reliable estimates of all removals, including commercial (landings and discards), recreational and indigenous, from the fished stock. These estimates have been factored into stock assessments and target species catch levels.

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Estimates of fishery removals

Commercial landings and discards

Compulsory commercial fishing catch and effort data have been continuously collected through the compulsory CFISH logbook program since 1981. Weight/numbers of target species and landed by-product species are monitored through this program. The logbook program has quarterly compliance runs to monitor logbook submissions.

Logbook catch and effort information on quota species, tailor and spotted mackerel, are subject to validation through buyer’s returns. Under the process for removal of latent effort currently underway in the entire net fishery (see response to Guideline1.1.7), randomly targeted licence holders and licence holders with specified catches are required to validate logbook catches with buyer’s receipts if they want to continue to participate in the net fishery. The Inshore Fin Fish MAC has considered industry concerns about using un-validated logbooks to determine fisher participation in the fishery and has resolved that, where appropriate, catches should be validated for allocation processes through such means as buyer’s receipts.

Commercial catch and effort data has been used in risk and stock assessments on the status of many inshore species such as barramundi (Welch et al. 2002), shark (Gribble et al. 2003, Rose et al. 2003), sea mullet (Bell et al. 2004), small mackerels (Cameron and Begg 2002, Ward et al. 2003) and tailor (Brown et al. 1999, Leigh etal. 2004).

Trends in statewide annual catch data for major species/species groups in the ECIFF are reported in the DPI&F’s Fisheries Resources Condition and Trend Reports (Williams 1997; Williams 2002). Spatial resolution has improved in the catch and effort data underlying these analyses from a 30x30 minute grid system for the 1981 to 1988 data to a 6x6 minute grid system from 1989 onwards. However, 6x6 data is not available for all fishing methods and some fishers continue to record data in 30x30 grids.

While the ECIFF is a multi-species fishery, there is a high selectivity in fishing gear to target particular species and reduce unwanted commercial discards.

Recreational Landings

Recreational fish catch data have been collected in 1996/1997, 1998/1999 and 2000/2001 with further data collection undertaken regularly through RFISH surveys. Tailor, bream, whiting and flathead are included in the RFISH survey summaries and have been factored into various stock assessments.

Recreational bream harvest is about twice the commercial harvest north of Baffle Creek while it is estimated that recreational harvest of bream and flathead south of Baffle Creek is about four times the commercial harvest, whiting is about three times the commercial harvest and tailor is two to four times the commercial harvest (Williams 2002).

See: response to Guideline 2.1.1 for recreational fishing discards

Charter Landings

The table below details the estimated catch and release rates for recreationally significant species. Harvest weights for most species in the commercial charter industry have increased since 1996. Release weights for barramundi, mackerel,

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queenfish and shark have also significantly increased since 1996, while flathead and whiting release weights have continued to decrease since 2002.

Table 1 Estimates of total retained catch (kg) and released (kg) during charter tour operations in Queensland from 1994 to 2004.

Spp Group 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

BARRAMUNDI RetainedCatch(kg) - - 507 965 2,273 3,458 2,762 5,117 6,050 3,959 5,199

Release(kg) - - 3,457 8,870 17,372 28,417 27,277 40,240 47,851 37,583 33,408

BREAM RetainedCatch(kg) 333 299 3,519 3,093 4,003 5,588 5,447 5,540 7,114 9,853 8,247

Release(kg) - - 3,460 6,878 6,502 8,187 7,219 8,091 10,300 10,756 9,141

FLATHEAD RetainedCatch(kg) 43 5 1,175 2,087 1,722 2,764 4,791 4,456 6,086 4,547 2,851

Release(kg) - - 793 2,672 2,224 1,971 2,344 2,925 3,241 4,049 2,317

GRUNTER RetainedCatch(kg) 24 255 3,651 6,867 8,099 7,359 5,228 6,202 6,868 5,034 4,997

Release(kg) - - 9,343 17,609 21,124 15,999 11,969 15,659 15,065 14,141 14,057

JEWFISHRetainedCatch(kg) 118 58 1,283 1,080 1,487 1,278 2,294 3,049 1,797 1,038 537

Release(kg) - - 250 1,877 3,246 2,534 3,926 5,122 5,291 2,966 2,946MACKEREL – SCHOOL

RetainedCatch(kg) 16 24 1,706 1,542 2,102 996 1,192 1,019 1,639 2,821 4,521

Release(kg) - - 1,684 241 265 255 449 365 429 639 1,102MACKEREL – SHARK

RetainedCatch(kg) 422 259 1,547 1,516 3,132 1,770 1,871 2,710 4,881 5,934 5,334

Release(kg) - - 38 327 196 544 413 399 572 1,116 1,759MACKEREL – SPOTTED

RetainedCatch(kg) 10 140 621 2,508 2,611 3,094 1,705 1,445 1,990 1,990 7,626

Release(kg) - - 49 101 162 493 516 222 402 1,261 1,736

QUEENFISH RetainedCatch(kg) - 207 723 1,496 1,784 1,830 2,261 2,764 4,313 2,267 3,056

Release(kg) - - 3,105 6,732 13,177 16,885 27,572 23,132 28,382 32,147 30,505

SHARKS RetainedCatch(kg) - 44 308 1,063 2,819 974 1,529 1,985 1,849 1,669 4,407

Release(kg) - - 949 2,075 3,960 1,441 3,363 2,221 4,226 2,946 5,057

TAILOR RetainedCatch(kg) - - 87 1,306 811 1,802 5,471 9,570 12,057 15,127 11,160

Release(kg) - - 32 288 328 853 1,599 2,169 2,478 2,156 1,218THREADFIN - BLUE

RetainedCatch(kg) - - 91 10 5,019 7,163 5,786 6,895 2,935 7,424 7,285

Release(kg) - - 188 94 2,666 1,255 1,487 2,641 4,037 2,832 2,221THREADFIN - KING

RetainedCatch(kg) - - 39 30 60 1,138 445 569 589 583 698

Release(kg) - - 28 18 61 215 457 369 384 738 672

TREVALLY RetainedCatch(kg) 1,604 1,000 9,982 13,933 12,847 12,599 16,852 15,662 23,719 23,587 22,040

Release(kg) - - 9,015 17,656 20,097 25,434 31,554 26,412 33,724 39,560 36,897

WHITING RetainedCatch(kg) - - 286 3,437 2,562 1,389 845 1,122 1,295 1,334 655

Release(kg) - - 62 493 274 100 95 143 259 235 181

Other Finfish RetainedCatch(kg) 143 151 4,176 5,837 10,440 15,553 9,616 12,823 20,837 24,483 17,922

Release(kg) - - 4,916 9,707 15,094 15,137 19,175 22,185 25,164 28,925 28,090

Total Retained Catch(kg) 2713 2441 29701 46771 61771 68755 68096 80926 104017 111649 106538

Total Release(kg) - - 37369 75638 106748 119720 139415 152295 181804 182051 171309

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Indigenous Landings

The only widespread collection of data for the Indigenous sector was during the NHT/FRDC National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey conducted in a 12 month period between 2000 and 2001. This survey indicates that 55% of indigenous fishers in northern Australia fished inshore, targeting mullet, catfish, bream and barramundi. During this period approximately 914,000 finfish were harvested where Queensland accounted for 38% of the total finfish catch.

Removal estimates in stock assessments

Fishery independent data from the DPI&F LTMP are being used to provide long-term trends in principal species recruitment and abundance. Data from the LTMP has recently contributed to mullet, tailor and spotted mackerel stock assessments.

1.1.5 There is a sound estimate of the potential productivity of the fished stock/s and the proportion that could be harvested.

Productivity of Target Stocks

There are sound estimates for productivity and sustainable harvest levels of barramundi, mullet and spotted mackerel, in recent stock assessments. More information on target and by-catch species composition and distribution is required before a potential productivity estimate can be made.

A biomass dynamic model was fitted to CPUE data from the East Coast barramundi fishery and indicated that barramundi stocks have been increasing steadily since the mid 1980s. Welch (2002) suggests that this apparent recovery is probably a result of effort restrictions and seasonal closures enforced over the past few decades. Current stocks on the East Coast appear to be healthy and current levels of fishing effort appear to be sustainable.

Historical and current data obtained from commercial fishers on the catch composition of sharks is not specific enough for a potential productivity estimate. There has been, however, a productivity index generated by Gribble et al. (2004a)based on attributes that contribute to the species total productivity, for example, longevity, size at maturity etc. Sustainability estimates based on, amongst other things, the productivity index, have been included in section 1.1.2.

The DPI&F, in association with the proposition of a management plan, recommends the introduction of a requirement for fishers to better identify and record catch of species that are of concern. For example, information on the catch of shark species will be sought from fishers. These fishers will be provided with up-to-date shark identification charts so that they can provide better species identification for retained sharks and details of any interactions they have with protected/listed endangered shark species. In the meantime, the Inshore Fin Fish MAC is developing precautionary management measures for the sustainable take of shark to be released for public comment through the PMA later this year.

The Inshore Fin Fish MAC will consider whether to use potential productivity estimates for the major target species as reference points for review events during the development of the proposed management plan.

The DPI&F is working towards greater accuracy in the catch and effort data estimates for the recreational and Indigenous sectors to improve the ability of

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managers to accurately estimate the potential productivity of the target species in the ECIFF.

Management responses

Sustainable fishing reference systems

1.1.6 There are reference points (target and/or limit), that trigger management actions including a biological bottom line and/or a catch or effort upper limit beyond which the stock should not be taken.

The ECIFF is managed to optimise sustainable productivity using a variety of input controls (e.g. limited licences, effort reduction, gear restrictions, and spatial and temporal closures). The ECIFF is currently managed under the Fisheries Regulation 1995 (the Regulation). The Regulation do not contain reference points that trigger management actions. The proposed Queensland East Inshore Fin Fish Fishery Management Plan, is likely to include ‘review events’ to help achieve the goals of a sustainable fishery. These review events will be linked to measures of commercial and recreational fishing effort and stock abundance indicators.

It is proposed that an agreed procedural mechanism will be in place for management to follow in the case of a review event being triggered. This mechanism would require the DPI&F to notify the Inshore Fin Fish MAC of the event and request it to obtain expert advice regarding the cause of the event and possible arrangements to address the same. Advice would be sought from relevant scientists and fishery industry representatives including seafood marketers. These experts would review all relevant data in order to understand why the review event had been triggered, and recommend appropriate management responses if required.

Management responses available include spatial and temporal closures, fish in-possession limits and the introduction or amendment to legal fish sizes.

1.1.7 There are management strategies in place capable of controlling the level of take.

Management strategies

The management strategies for the ECIFF will be developed in parallel with the proposed ECIFF Management Plan.

Management controls

The commercial, recreational and Indigenous sectors of the ECIFF are managed using a variety of input and output controls.

Commercial fishery It is estimated that about forty percent of commercial fishing boat licence holders are not operating their licences at a maximum commercial level. Community and resource pressures mean that further conversion of this latent capacity into real fishing effort would most likely exceed sustainable levels and would pose a significant threat. However, to ensure latent effort is not activated in the ECIFF, the DPI&F has implemented a process to reduce the number of commercial net fishing authorities that are considered to be operating at a minimum commercial level of effort. It is expected this process will be completed by September 2005.

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Gear restrictions

Subject to gear restrictions, inshore finfish species may be taken by line or net but the species are predominantly caught by the net fishing method. Gear restrictions ensure fishing power is regulated and the corresponding fishing effort is capped at a sustainable level.

Participants in any of the fisheries that make up the ECIFF are subject to gear restrictions. These include apparatus restrictions such as net mesh sizes, net lengths, net depth and the number of apparatus that can be used at any one time. Restrictions also apply to the boat lengths. For example, in the barramundi fishery, nets are generally up to 360m with a mesh size of 50mm to 215mm in rivers and creeks, up to 600m with a mesh size of 150mm to 215mm in foreshore waters and up to 1200m with a mesh size of 150mm to 245mm in offshore waters.

It is proposed that all management arrangements pertaining to gear restrictions will be reviewed in developing a management plan for the ECIFF.

Area restrictions

Fishing effort is also controlled through the use of spatial and temporal closures to all or some fishing or for particular apparatus such as commercial nets. There are currently approximately 200 fisheries closures within the ECIFF. These closures cover expansive areas and vary from total closures and seasonal (including weekend) closures to closures for certain types of nets. Fishers participating in the EEIFF are also subject to other closures provided for in other State and Commonwealth natural resource management legislation, for example, Commonwealth and State Marine Parks. It is expected that existing and proposed closures will be reviewed during the development of the proposed management plan.

Principal and permitted species

Generally commercial fishers within the ECIFF are not restricted in the number of species that can be targeted, other than coral reef species. The following fish are currently identified as the potential target species depending on the circumstances: barramundi, blue threadfin, grey mackerel, and jewel fish, king threadfin, queenfish and spotted grunter, school mackerel, bream, flathead, tailor and shark. Spotted mackerel is another target species; however the catch of this species is limited to line fishing.

It is recommended that a management plan will redefine the list of principal target species and “other permitted” species as well as introduce limits on “other permitted” species identified at risk from over-fishing. For example, it is proposed that a management plan should introduce new management arrangements for shark species.

Size Restrictions

There are a suite of species that are subject to minimum legal size. Some species have both a minimum and maximum legal size. These legal sizes are as follows:

black jewfish— less than 45 cm black king-fish— less than 75 cm broad-barred orgrey mackerel— less than 50 cm dolphin-fish— less than 45 cm estuary cod— less than 35 cm or more than 120 cm

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grass sweetlip— less than 30 cm large-scale sea perch-less than 35 cm mangrove jack— less than 35 cm mulloway— less than 45 cm Queensland schoolmackerel— less than 50 cm shark mackerel— less than 50 cm silver jewfish— less than 45 cm silver teraglin— less than 30 cm spotted mackerel— less than 60 cm wahoo— less than 75 cm yellowtail king-fish— less than 50 cm barramundi— less than 58 cm or more than 120 cm bar-tailed flathead— less than 30 cm burnett salmon— less than 40 cm Cooktown salmon— less than 40 cm golden lined whiting— less than 23 cm grunter— see spotted grunter bream luderick— less than 23 cm mud flathead— less than 40 cm or more than 70 cm pikey bream— less than 23 cm sand flathead— less than 30 cm sand whiting— less than 23 cm sea mullet— less than 30 cm small spotted grunter bream— less than 30 cm spotted grunter bream (grunter)— less than 30 cm tailor— less than 30 cm tarwhine— less than 23 cm trochus— less than 8 cm or more than 12.5 cm yellow-finned bream - less than 23 cm

Number restrictions

As a consequence of the OCS Arrangements made with the Commonwealth Government in 1988 and renewed in 1995, there are species regulated by number if taken for trade or commerce. These fish are: albacore tuna 10 bigeye tuna 2 fanfish 10 longtail tuna 10 pomfret 10 skipjack tuna 10 yellowfin tuna 2 any combination of albacore tuna, fanfish, longtail tuna, pomfret and skipjack tuna 10 combination of bigeye and yellowfin tuna 2

Under Queensland Fisheries Regulations, tailor and spotted mackerel are species regulated by number and weight. These management arrangements are set out below.

TailorIn March 2002, new management arrangements were introduced to protect Queensland’s tailor resources. These arrangements include an annual commercial

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catch quota of 120 tonne. An incidental catch limit of 100 kg is allowed to minimise the waste of tailor caught in nets. This incidental catch is not record against the TACC. All commercial catches over 100kg are required to be reported prior to landing. Catches recorded in commercial logbooks can be validated via the prior reporting system or through seafood buyer’s logbooks.

The seasonal closure (September) for tailor in waters between Waddy Point and Indian Head, Fraser Island was previously only extended to include the month of August. This initiative affords better protection to spawning tailor aggregations.

In September 2003, a prohibition on target net fishing for tailor was introduced on Fraser Island. A Commercial net closure for all species on Fraser Island's eastern foreshore waters and waters within 200 metres out to sea from the shore at low water between Tooloora Creek and the northern end of North Ngkala Rocks was also introduced. The closure applies from midday 1 April to midday 1 September each year.

Spotted mackerel Historically, the spotted mackerel fishery in Queensland was managed through a variety of input controls including constraints on the number of vessels that could operate in the fishery, specification of those vessels and associated fishing gears, and recreational size and bag limits. More recently however, output controls were introduced to manage the fishery, in particular an annual total allowable commercial catch (TACC) and recently a prohibition on target net fishing for this species. The current TACC is set at 140 tonnes for take in the commercial line fishery and is considered unlikely to be reached. Net fishers are allowed an incidental catch limit of 15 fish which are recorded in logs to monitor take, however, do not contribute to the TACC. All commercial catches over 15 spotted mackerel must be reported prior to landing. Catches recorded in commercial logbooks can be validated via the prior reporting system or through seafood buyer’s logbooks. A summary management history of spotted mackerel is provided in Table 3.4.

Table 2 History of spotted mackerel (Scomberomorus munroi) management.

Year Management

1984 Limited entry for net and line fisheries (i.e., no new vessel licences issued)

1990 (May 22) Repeal of section 35 of the Fishery and Industry Organisation and Marketing Act making the sale of recreational catches unlawful

1995 (Dec 1) Minimum legal size of 50 cm TL 1995 (Dec 1) Recreational in-possession limit of 30 spotted mackerel

1997 (Dec 19) Declaration of Dugong Protection Areas

2002 (Apr 8) Investment warning for the harvest of spotted mackerel by any fishing method.

2002-2003 NEW LEGISLATION (as scheduled below) 2002 (Dec 6) Minimum legal size of 60 cm TL 2002 (Dec 6) Recreational in-possession limit of 5 spotted mackerel 2002 (Dec 6) Annual commercial TAC of 140 t (1 July – 30 June) 2002 (Dec 6)

1Prohibition on the use of nets to target spotted mackerel

2002 (Dec 6) 1

Commercial in-possession limit of 150 spotted mackerel 2002 (Dec 6)

1Commercial incidental net catch in possession limit of 15 or less spotted

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mackerel2002 (Dec 6) Commercial line operators required to report, before the fish are landed

on shore, any catches greater than 15 spotted mackerel caught within a 24 hour period

2003 (Dec 19) Incidental commercial net catch of 15 or less spotted mackerel – clarification in legislation

2003 (May 1) No netting for spotted mackerel allowed – end of the phasing in period

SharksConcern over the sustainability of shark catches in the ECIFF has led to DPI&F assessing shark management arrangements for the fishery. In April 2002, DPI&F issued a warning advising that future catches and investment in shark fishing will not be recognised in assessing applications for new or continued access to the East Coast Net Fishery. These restrictions would remain in force while an assessment of long-term management arrangements for the fishery was carried out, culminating in the release of a management plan for the fishery.

Emergency Fisheries Declarations

Section 43 of the Fisheries Act 1994 provides for the implementation of emergency fisheries declarations. These declarations are not subordinate legislation. They can only be enforced for three months and must be repealed if the emergency no longer exists. These declarations can implement closed waters, closed seasons and declare fish to be regulated fish.

Fishery monitoring systems

DPI&F Long Term Monitoring Program The Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) commenced in 1999 with barramundi and mud crabs and has continued monitoring these species plus other ECIFF fish have been included. Information is regularly collected on species abundance and population structure and habitat data is also collected where habitat change is known to have an impact on the species.

Observer Programs To date, observer programs in the ECIFF have been research focused and voluntary.

Log Books Catch and Effort Logbooks used in the ECIFF contain details of the number and weight of each species captured and retained (recorded daily and reported monthly). A 'Species of Conservation Interest' (SOCI) logbook is also completed by commercial fishers. The purpose of this logbook is to obtain more accurate information on the interaction between fishing apparatus and protected species (see response to Guideline 2.2.1).

Improvements on the data reported in the commercial net fishery logbook have been made according to increasing information needs for sustainable management. The current (NC05) version of the logbook provides for catch and effort data to be recorded at a finer spatial resolution than on previous logbooks, and for better compliance in quota managed species (e.g. tailor). Further changes to assist management will be incorporated into future versions of the logbook.

The DPI&F also propose to introduce a requirement for fishers to better identify and record catch of species that are of concern. For example, information on the catch of shark species will be sought from fishers. These fishers will be provided with up-to-

24

date shark identification charts so that they can provide better species identification for retained sharks and details of any interactions they have with protected/listed endangered shark species. This requirement will assist Queensland in meeting its responsibilities under the draft National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Shark).

Enforcement and compliance in the ECIFF

The DPI&F Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) is responsible for ensuring compliance with Queensland’s fisheries legislation. Eighty-one officers stationed at district offices throughout Queensland’s east coast are involved in the enforcement of fisheries laws as they relate to the ECIFF. The QB&FP have a number of plans in place that to ensure efficient and effective enforcement of fisheries legislation. A State-wide Strategic Compliance Plan is supported by both Regional and District Operational Plans. These Plans contain key strategies, principal performance indicators and Plan review and evaluation provisions.

Shore-based officers conduct compliance inspections with commercial and recreational fishers at wharves, boat ramps and unloading facilities. Unattended commercial product is inspected during transport to and from wholesale or retail outlets and processing plants. Shore-based officers are supported by inspections at-sea. Long-range patrol vessels undertake surveillance of fishing activities in offshore areas, while areas closer inshore are managed by medium size craft stationed at District Offices. Field inspections include the monitoring of logbooks, licences, possession limits on permitted species regulated by number, size and volume.

Compliance levels in Queensland recreational and net fisheries are consistently high as shown in Table 3.5. Over a twelve month period ending June 2005, 27,090 recreational fishing units (excluding fresh water units) were inspected with a compliance rate of 95.45%. With respect to commercial net fishing units, in the same period 470 units were inspected with a 91.9% compliance rate.

Table 3 Recreational and Commercial compliance rates

Yr end June 2003 Yr end June 2004 Yr end June 2005Inspected Compliance Inspected Compliance Inspected Compliance

Recreational 28394 94.89 % 22781 94.52 % 27090 95.45 % Commercial 587 93.69 % 571 92.64 % 470 91.9 %

Recreational Fishery

Gear restrictions

Fishing apparatus that is allowed in the recreational fishery is limited to hand held fishing lines, fishing rods with line and hand-operated reels, cast, scoop and seine nets and spear and spear guns. Fishing lines (not more than 3) must have no more than 6 hooks attached. Cast, scoop and seine nets also have restrictions on mesh size and length.

Seasonal and spatial closures

There is an annual closed season for barramundi in the ECIFF in October, November, December and January. There are currently approximately 12 recreational fishing closures within the ECIFF. Several additional closures exist

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wherein a recreational fisher can not use nets or spear guns. Recreational fishers participating in the ECIFF are also subject to other closures provided for in other State and Commonwealth natural resource management legislation, for example, Commonwealth and State Marine Parks.

Size restrictions

See Commercial Fishery – same size restrictions apply.

Number restrictions

black jewfish 10 black kingfish 10 broad-barred or greymackerel 10 estuary cod 10 large-scale sea perch 10 mulloway 10 Queensland schoolmackerel 30 spotted mackerel 5 wahoo 10 barramundi 5 mud flathead 5

tailor taken within 400 m from the shore of Fraser Island (if an inspector is reasonably satisfied the tailor were taken by a recreational fisher staying on Fraser Island for an uninterrupted period of at least 72 hours) - 30

tailor taken within 400 m from the shore of Fraser Island (if an inspector is reasonably satisfied the tailor were taken by a recreational fisher during any other period) - 20

tailor taken in other State waters - 20

Education

Junior Angler Fishing Camps The DPI&F conducts kids fishing clinics held annually at several locations throughout the State, where young anglers are taught fishing basics as well as the principles of ecological conservation.

Senior anglers, DPI&F officers and bait and tackle industry representatives provide their time and expertise for free to ensure that young anglers receive the very best angling advice. Apart from learning angling basics, young anglers are also taught the importance of protecting and conserving fish stocks. During the clinics, this theory is put to practice with undersized fish quickly returned to the water. Covering up bait and cleaning up after a day’s fishing are also strongly emphasized to ensure that fishing waste is not discarded into the marine environment to cause entanglement problems for sea birds and other marine life.

Community Liaison An important educational role in ensuring that recreational fishers receive the best advice about the current fishery regulations is taken on by a dedicated Statewide network of fishing enthusiasts called Fishcare volunteers. With DPI&F support the Fishcare Volunteer Program plays a vital role in protecting and preserving Queensland’s fisheries resources.

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There are 161 Fishcare volunteers throughout the State who devote their spare time to helping recreational anglers better understand fishing regulations. In 2002, volunteers contributed more than 1500 hours of their own time to help promote responsible fishing practices.

Fishcare volunteers play a valuable role in helping to raise awareness amongst recreational anglers about the importance of conserving fishery resources. They also promote the benefits of sustainability through sensible fishing practices including observing bag limits and legal sizes for the various regulated fish species. Fishcare Volunteers also help gather valuable information for researchers and fisheries managers and the information they collect can provide an indication of the level of compliance with fishery regulations at a local level.

Charter Fishery Recreational in-possession and size limits apply to the charter fishery when taking inshore species. Currently charter operators require an annual permit to conduct their operations. The permit does not restrict operations beyond the rules already applicable to the recreational fishery.

Indigenous Fishery Section 14 of the Fisheries Act 1994 recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights to take fisheries resources under the following provisions:

(1) An Aborigine may take, use or keep fisheries resources, or use fish habitats, under Aboriginal tradition, and a Torres Strait Islander may take, use or keep fisheries resources, or use fish habitats, under Island custom.

(2) Subsection (1) is subject to a provision of a regulation or management plan that expressly applies to acts done under Aboriginal tradition or Island custom.

(3) A regulation or management plan mentioned in subsection (2) may be developed only after cooperating with Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders, considered by the fishery agency to be appropriate, to reach agreement, or reasonably attempt to reach agreement, about the proposed regulation or plan.

There are currently no regulations or management plans regulating acts done under Aboriginal tradition or Island custom. DPI&F has proposed management plans for commercial and recreational fishing, as these activities place more pressure on fisheries resources than fishing under Aboriginal or Island custom.

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Management of By-product Species

1.1.8 Fishing is conducted in a manner that does not threaten stocks of by-product species (Guidelines 1.1.1 to 1.1.7 should be applied to by-product species to an appropriate level).

There is a reliable information collection system in place appropriate to the scale of the fishery. The level of data collection should be based upon an appropriate mix of fishery independent and dependent research and monitoring.

Information Requirements

The information collection system for by-product species includes the CFISH logbook system, the RFISH surveys and diaries program, the DPI&F LTM program. These initiatives represent an appropriate mix of fishery dependent and fishery independent sources of information on by-product species in the ECIFF and the details of each project are outlined in the response to Guideline 1.1.1.

Information is collected for by-product species through the compulsory commercial net fishery logbook system that has been in place since 1988. The capture of all by-product was in general not comprehensively recorded previous to 1988. By-product species are also monitored as a component of barramundi catches in the fishery independent surveys of the DPI&F Long Term Monitoring Program.

Historical information on by-product species is held in the DPI&F CFISH database. Catch and effort data on the by-product species may be unreliable due to the lack of accuracy in species identification and reporting by the fisher and the lack of reporting of caught by-product that may not be processed and is discarded. The LTMP also provides limited information on by-product species.

Assessments

There is a robust assessment of the dynamics and status of by-product species in the fishery and periodic review of the process and the data collected. Assessment should include a process to identify any reduction in biological diversity and /or reproductive capacity. Review should take place at regular intervals but at least every three years.

The distribution and spatial structure of by-product species stocks has been established and factored into management responses.

The broad spatial distribution within Queensland waters of the major by-product species has been documented (Garrett 1997; Kailola et al. 1993). The biology and ecology of the major by-product species, although limited, has also been reported. Spatial and seasonal closures to commercial and recreational fishing in the ECIFF give relief from fishing pressure to stocks of all by-product species that occupy niches in closure areas and that have significant reproductive output during the closure months. This would include all of the major by-product species and a substantial number of other by-product species.

Fishing output controls are in place for the recreational fishery that limit the size and catch of the major by-product species. At present there is limited spatial information on which to base specific management decisions about preferred habitats/areas of byproduct species in the ECIFF. A detailed assessment of shark by-product species

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is currently under way in Shark Phase II (FRDC 2002/064) and the DPI&F LTM program. Shark Phase II will be completed in 2005.

There is a history of co-operative fisheries management in the ECIFF, with commercial and recreational fishers working together with managers and researchers to recognize and address stock sustainability and resource allocation issues in the fishery.

There are reliable estimates of all removals, including commercial (landings and discards), recreational and Indigenous, from the fished stock. These estimates have been factored into stock assessments and target species catch levels.

Commercial Landings

Non-target, by-product species are recorded in compulsory logbooks and entered into the CFISH database. Table 4 lists the harvest rates for by-product species in the ECIFF. Both the commercial and recreational sectors catch and use locally caught bait in their operations, either for their own use or for sale to others (commercial and charter boat operators only). These are used commercially in the line fishery and mud crab pot fishery. Bait species generally include mullet, garfish, herring, sprats and prawns.

Table 4 Total recorded landings of by-product species in the ECIFF (t)

Species name 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Butter fish 2 2 5 3 6

Catfish - Fork 13 13 13 16 19 13 8 16 22 19 17 13 12 21 17

Cod - Estuary 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 2 3 2

Dart 22 16 38 30 56 25 48 24 38 26 40 28 29 54 48

Fish - Bait 185 105 34 18 22 26 22 28 42 46 29 40 34 82 162

Flathead - All 77 71 64 62 57 53 58 66 63 76 60 54 56 58 96

Grunter -All 11 15 12 15 13 16 13 20 17 17 20 22 24 29 35

Hardyheads 2 0 4 6 9 5 2 10 12 4 6 4

Herring 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 2 2 2 4 6 13 8

Jew - N 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 4 4 0

Jewel 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0

Long Tom 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0

Luderick 41 47 20 16 9 13 17 37 25 15 19 12 12 15 11Mackerel - School 9 2 12 30 25 24 46 32 39 89 94 36 89 123 133Mackerel - Slimy 0 0 0 0 6 6 4 4Mackerel - Unspecified 10 35 76 98 103 119 104 133 64 80 99 75 58 47 2

Perch - Silver 0 0

Pilchards - All 20 6 167 44 0 6 111 101 129 52 41 65 46 45 74

Pomfret - black 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

Queenfish 37 29 32 43 32 31 39 47 48 44 49 64 70 142 135

Ray - All 2 4 3 3 5 7 9 9 4 4 5 6 4 17 18

Sawfish 0 0 2 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 0

Scad 1 1 3 4 5 4 10 10 10 20 61 41 44 31

Scat 28 23 15 28 11 12 12 4 7 11 18 14 10 14 9

Silver Bidddies 0 3 10 14 11 4 14 15 18 13 28 22 21 15

Steelback 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 0

Threadfin 2 1 1 2 3 3 3 6 3 10 6 3 4 6 4

Triple Tail 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 2

Trumpeter 0 0 1 2

Total Other Net Spp 458 370 495 423 378 373 509 565 541 530 549 554 541 754 820

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Recreational landings

Removal estimates for by-product species by the recreational sector are of limited resolution although the RFISH program is expanding on the information collected through the phone surveys and diary systems to include more species, and associated levels of fishery effort.

Indigenous landings

Removals of commercial by-product species by the Indigenous sector of the fishery are unknown. Some data have been collated for northern Australian communities through the NRIFS including several communities on the far northern coast of Queensland (Coleman et al. 2003), but these are not specific to east coast communities surveyed, nor can they be extrapolated to other east coast communities not surveyed. However they do give the impression that the indigenous catch is fairly opportunistic and is made up of a mixture of commercial net target finfish species (including barramundi, garfish, mackerel, mullet, whiting and sharks), commercial net byproduct species (e.g. grunter, catfish, trevally, butterfish and threadfins), and commercial net bycatch species (cod, herring and other bait fishes).

There is a sound estimate of the potential productivity of the fished stock/s and the proportion that could be harvested.

No stock assessments have been conducted and no estimates of available biomass exist for any by-product species in the ECIFF. Catch and CPUE trends for some of these species are reported in Condition and Trend reports (e.g. Williams 2002). The DPI&F LTMP has begun the collection of these relevant long term time series data.

Management responses

There are reference points (target and/or limit), that trigger management actions including a biological bottom line and/or a catch or effort upper limit beyond which the stock should not be taken.

There are currently no reference points prescribed for commercial by-product species in the ECIFF. It is recommended that reference points be developed for the fishery in association with the development of a proposed management plan.

There are management strategies in place capable of controlling the level of take of by-product species.

By-product species are covered by the range of management arrangements outlined in the response to Guideline 1.1.7: Management controls.

Management strategies controlling the level of take of by-product species are through restrictions on gear types and sizes and seasonal and spatial closures to fishing. Fishing gear restricted in this way tends to selectively target certain sized animals thus minimizing the interaction of by-product species with sizes outside the range of the gear selectivity. Spatial and seasonal closures to commercial and recreational fishing in the ECIFF give relief from fishing pressure to stocks of all by-product species that occupy niches in closure areas.

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1.1.9 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective.

Evaluation of Management Measures

The Fisheries Act 1994 formally commits the Queensland Government to the principles of ESD in executing its responsibilities for managing the State’s fisheries resources (Anon. 1996). The management arrangements contained in the Regulation reinforce this commitment and the appropriate use of a precautionary approach in dealing with uncertainty. The lack of appropriate information on which to base well informed decisions to arrive at sustainable outcomes is of some concern.

Current management arrangements have been implemented on the best information and expert advice available from the DPI&F, research institutions and industry. A management plan will ensure that the ECIFF is managed for sustainable harvesting levels in a broader ecosystem context. Additional seasonal and permanent closures to protect target, by-product and bycatch species for a greater part of their lifecycle will be considered if required. The proposed removal of latent effort in the ECIFF (some 40% of current fishery symbols) will minimize further impacts on target, by-product and bycatch species.

Minimum Legal Sizes (MLSs) for the major species retained in the fishery have been in place for many years. Periodic reviews and amendments to MLSs have been firmly based on the scientific research of Pollock, Morton, Garrett, Russell, Cameron and others. More recently DPI&F quantitative stock assessments of high priority heavily fished species (e.g. tailor and mullet) are addressing emerging sustainability issues. Stock assessments have also been instrumental in setting maximum legal sizes, bag limits/individual quotas and TACs for a number of key species. The current rolling program of stock assessments for other high priority species (e.g. barramundi) is planned to continue (Neil Gribble, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004).

Where there is concern over the sustainability of tropical sharks, sustainability assessments were conducted recently using complementary fishery-dependent information sources to determine the relative level of risk posed by net fishing to individual shark species in the ECIFF (e.g. Gribble et al. 2004a). Preliminary results from risk assessments are being used to identify priority species and in formulating specific measures to ensure sustainability of these species in the management planning process.

There has been a trend in the past ten years from a largely incidental shark fishery towards a dedicated shark fishery on the East Coast of Queensland. The Inshore Fin Fish MAC has singled out the development of comprehensive management arrangements for sharks and rays as a priority sustainability issue to be addressed in a proposed East Coast Inshore Finfish Management Plan. While the DPI&F has already implemented a process to reduce latent effort in the net fishery as a whole, future management arrangements to reduce latent effort in the shark fishery as a component of the net fishery and placing specific restrictions on the targeting of elasmobranchs are being considered (M. Doohan, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004). The MAC is also developing proposals for appropriate arrangements to cap effort in the shark fishery to be released for public comment when complete.

There is also concern over the level of information on the species composition of shark in the target product and bycatch. At present there is facility in the logbook for only coarse differentiation of the shark species caught (included either in the ‘Whaler

31

Shark’ or ‘H/head Shark’ catch component). Species composition and distribution information are vital data required for a stock assessment of the shark component of the ECIFF. Progress is being made towards these data targets through the FRDC Shark II project, with preliminary data from DPI&F workshops with commercial fishers used for an assessment of risk to the sustainability of the major shark species identified in the catch (Gribble et. al 2004a).

The accuracy of the RFISH voluntary diary system and information gathering through fishing surveys in the recreational fishery is reliant on the good will of the volunteer. While every measure is taken to collect accurate data during the surveys, and helpful guides for data input are included with the diaries, data reliability from voluntary sources is dependent on the quality of information provided by the individual.

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Objective 2. Where the fished stock(s) are below a defined reference point, the fishery will be managed to promote recovery to ecologically viable stock levels within nominated timeframes.

Precautionary Recovery Strategies

1.2.1 A precautionary recovery strategy is in place specifying management actions, or staged management responses, which are linked to reference points. The recovery strategy should apply until the stock recovers, and should aim for recovery within a specific time period appropriate to the biology of the stock.

and

1.2.2 If the stock is estimated as being at or below the biological and / or effort bottom line, management responses such as a zero targeted catch, temporary fishery closure or a ‘whole of fishery’ effort or quota reduction are implemented.

The DPI&F believes that no species currently taken in the ECIFF requires a precautionary recovery strategy.

There are currently no review events prescribed for the ECIFF. Review events and performance indicators for the fishery will be developed as part of a management plan. Strategic marine habitat protection programs and policies are in place to limit the impacts of coastal development on fisheries habitats to conserve fish stocks in Queensland estuarine and marine waters (e.g. DPI&F Fish Habitat Areas: see response to Guideline 2.3.2).

Potential over-fishing instances can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. There is a hierarchy of management options available depending on the severity of the issue and nature and duration of an appropriate response. In order to address any instances of over-fishing the DPI&F may:

make an emergency declaration or fishery closure under s.46 of the Fisheries Act;

implement a change in management by regulation; amend conditions of a fishing licence or where feasible, consider re-stocking marine fish2.

The use of one or more of these management options will take full account of the likely impacts of the management actions over a range of time scales with respect to assisting the recovery of the stock should it be required. The DPI&F undertakes to manage ECIFF in a sustainable manner with sufficient precautionary management measures in place where information for a particular species may be deficient. When developed, the proposed management plan will consolidate and integrate current and proposed management arrangements for the sustainable use of inshore finfish resources.

2 See response to Guideline 2.3.3

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PART CTable of Contents

Part D- Assessment of the Management Regime against Principle 2 ............................. 3

Information Requirements ................................................................................................... 3

Bycatch Composition ....................................................................................................... 3

Fishery Dependent Information ...................................................................................... 4

Commercial Fishery ..................................................................................................... 4

Recreational, indigenous and charter fisheries........................................................ 5

Recreational Fishery ................................................................................................ 5

Indigenous Fishery ................................................................................................... 5

Charter Fishery ......................................................................................................... 5

Fishery Independent Information ................................................................................... 5

Assessments ......................................................................................................................... 6

Commercial Fishery ......................................................................................................... 6

Recreational Fishery ........................................................................................................ 8

Indigenous Fishery ........................................................................................................... 8

Charter Fishery ................................................................................................................. 8

Management Responses .................................................................................................... 9

Current Management ....................................................................................................... 9

Proposed Management ................................................................................................... 9

Research and Development ........................................................................................... 9

Industry Responses ....................................................................................................... 10

Commercial Fishery ................................................................................................... 10

Recreational Fishery .................................................................................................. 11

Evaluation of Management Measures......................................................................... 12

Protected Species & Communities ...................................................................................... 14

Information Requirements ................................................................................................. 14

Assessments ....................................................................................................................... 16

Grey Nurse Sharks ......................................................................................................... 16

Great White Sharks ........................................................................................................ 17

Glyphis ............................................................................................................................. 17

Sawfish............................................................................................................................. 17

Sea Turtles ...................................................................................................................... 18

Estuarine crocodiles....................................................................................................... 18

Sea Snakes ..................................................................................................................... 18

Syngnathids..................................................................................................................... 19

Dugong............................................................................................................................. 19

Cetaceans........................................................................................................................ 19

Marine Birds .................................................................................................................... 20

Management Responses .................................................................................................. 20

Grey Nurse Sharks ......................................................................................................... 20

Great White Sharks ........................................................................................................ 20

Glyphis ............................................................................................................................. 21

Sawfish............................................................................................................................. 21

Sea Turtles ...................................................................................................................... 21

Estuarine Crocodiles ...................................................................................................... 21

Sea Snakes ..................................................................................................................... 21

Syngnathids..................................................................................................................... 21

Dugong............................................................................................................................. 21

Cetaceans........................................................................................................................ 21

Marine Birds .................................................................................................................... 22

Evaluation of Management Measures............................................................................. 22

Ecosystem Impacts ................................................................................................................ 25

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Information Requirements ................................................................................................. 25

Information Sources ....................................................................................................... 25

Fishery Dependent Data............................................................................................ 25

Fishery Independent Data ......................................................................................... 26

Assessment ......................................................................................................................... 28

Impacts on Ecological Communities............................................................................ 28

Benthic Communities ................................................................................................. 28

Ecologically Related, Associated or Dependent Species..................................... 28

Marine Birds ............................................................................................................ 28

Turtles....................................................................................................................... 29

Sharks, sawfish, dolphins and crocodiles ........................................................... 29

Water Column Communities ..................................................................................... 29

Community Structure and Productivity/Flows ............................................................ 30

Physical Environment .................................................................................................... 31

Benthic Habitats...................................................................................................... 31

Water Quality........................................................................................................... 31

Management Responses .................................................................................................. 31

Sensitive Habitats........................................................................................................... 31

Closures ........................................................................................................................... 32

Restocking ....................................................................................................................... 32

Water Quality................................................................................................................... 32

Marine Debris .................................................................................................................. 33

Emergency Declarations ............................................................................................... 33

Fishery Management Planning..................................................................................... 34

Monitoring ........................................................................................................................ 34

Strategic Marine Planning ............................................................................................. 34

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan ......................................................... 34

Industry Structural Adjustment ..................................................................................... 34

Industry Initiatives ........................................................................................................... 34

Addreviations and Acronyms ................................................................................................ 36

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 38

List of Tables

Table 1 Summary of the recorded incidental fishery interactions with protected species in the ECIFF, April 2002 - June 2004. ......................................... 15

Table 2 Protected species reported in the ECIFF bycatch (Halliday et al. 2001) . 15

List of Figures

Figure 1 Distribution of 2003 fishing effort in the ECIFF .............................................. 26

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Part D- Assessment of the Management Regime against Principle 2

Principle 2: Fishing operations should be managed to minimize their impact on the structure, productivity, function and biological diversity of the ecosystem.

Objective 1. The fishery is conducted in a manner that does not threaten bycatch species.

Bycatch Species

Information Requirements

2.1.1 Reliable information, appropriate to the scale of the fishery, is collected on the composition and abundance of bycatch.

Bycatch Composition ‘Bycatch’ as defined in the Guidelines are:

discards of commercially valuable species;

species that are discarded from the catch;

fish that are retained for scientific purposes;

that part of the catch that is not landed but is killed as a result of interaction with fishing gear.

This section includes assessment of discarded target and non-target species, protected or undersized species of fish regulated under the Qld Fisheries Regulations 1995, and scientific samples from current research and fishery independent monitoring. Species of conservation concern listed in the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (i.e. cetaceans, sea turtles, dugong, and sawfish) are excluded from this section. They are assessed in the response to Guideline 2.2.2.

Discarding of catch in the ECIFF occurs for reasons of: • regulations – for example, protected species restrictions (Dolphins, Turtles etc), size restrictions, Offshore Constitutional Settlement arrangements (Commonwealth managed) and State regulations; and/or • markets and market value of catch – for example, fish discarded because of low or zero market value (milkfish, catfish, and large sharks).

Most of the species captured in the ECIFF north of Baffle Creek (24º 30’S) have a widespread tropical Indo-West Pacific distribution. However, it has been reliably reported that Queensland east coast stocks of barramundi, spotted croaker, grunter, king and blue threadfins and grey mackerel are genetically separate to Gulf of Carpentaria stocks (Garrett et al. 1997), while the historically dominant tropical shark species captured in the fishery [the Australian blacktip whaler (Carcharhinus tilstoni)and sorrah whaler (Carcharhinus sorrah)] appear to have single stocks across northern Australia (Kailola et al. 1993, Cameron & Begg 2002). The dominant species captured south of Baffle Creek are a mixture of tropical species, endemic subtropical

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species (e.g. yellowfin bream, dusky flathead and trumpeter whiting), temperate western Pacific species (e.g. luderick, silver mullet and flat-tail mullet) and species with a wider global distribution e.g. sea mullet and tailor.

A comprehensive report on the effects of net fishing on bycatch and biodiversity in Queensland inshore waters (FRDC Project 97/206) was completed in 2001 and is publicly available (Halliday et al. 2001). In the study, the composition, relative abundance and spatial distribution of commercial net bycatch species in the ECIFF were reported. Data from two sources, (i.e. commercial logbook data and data collected by scientific observers aboard commercial fishing vessels), were found to be in close agreement, indicating that the catch information returned by fishers in their logbooks could be relied upon for assessment purposes (Halliday et al. 2001) (see response to Guideline 2.1.2).

Halliday et al. (2001) recorded more than 60 bycatch species in the ECIFF, but on average these made up only about 15% (range 6% to 28%) of the catch by numbers of fish caught. Bycatch in the fishery is dominated by a range of species depending on location, fishing gear and the target species (op. cit.). There is considerable variability in the seasonal catch rate of bycatch in the fishery with higher catch rates being recorded in the warmer months (Halliday et al. 2001).

The black pomfret (Parasromateus niger), a Commonwealth regulated species, comprises a minor part (<10%) of the bycatch in net fishing operations for barramundi (calculated from the data of Halliday et al. 2001).

Fishery Dependent Information

Commercial Fishery Non-target (bycatch) species are usually cleared from the net without being brought onboard or landed on the beach where seine nets are used. Bycatch is usually discarded without being recorded. There is no legal requirement for fishers to report discarded bycatch species through the CFISH logbook. This is no longer the case for protected species. In 2003, the SOCI 01 logbook (Appendix 9) was introduced to report all bycatch species that are of conservation concern listed under the EPBC Act 1999 (see response to Guideline 2.2.1).

Fishing gears and methods utilized in the ECIFF commercial net fishery are selective at harvesting the nominated target species (Halliday et al. 2001). Apart from occasional incidents where several protected species are reported to interact with fishing gear (see response to Guideline 2.2.2); bycatch in the commercial net fishery is mainly comprised of fish and elasmobranch species. Elasmobranchs in the bycatch include several species of rays (Rhinobatus typus, Dasyatis kuhlii, Himantura uarnak,Rhinoptera neglecta), sharks (Loxodon macrorhinus, Eusphyrna blochii andOrectolobus ornatus) and sawfish (Pristis microdon) (Halliday et al. 2001).

Fishery dependent observer-based data collected in the DPI&F /FRDC research project on northern sharks1 and the DPI&F LTM program are characterizing and quantifying the bycatch in the ECIFF. This work is providing high quality data to assess the relative risks to the sustainability of elasmobranchs captured in the ECIFF (Gribble et. al. 2004) and to monitor trends in the condition of the stocks of major tropical bycatch species (C. Lunow et al., DPI&F, in prep.). Key results are discussed in the response to Guideline 2.1.2.

1 FRDC Project 2001/077 Northern Australian sharks and rays: the sustainability of target and bycatch fisheries, Phase 1.

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Recreational, indigenous and charter fisheries Bycatch levels and species in the recreational, Indigenous and commercial tour operator (charter) fishery are difficult to quantify. Gear types used in these sectors are usually designed to specifically target certain fish species. Data on fish catches in these sectors is available through fisher surveys and diaries in the recreational and indigenous sectors and logbooks in the charter sector.

Recreational Fishery Data on recreational catch in Queensland waters are derived primarily through RFISH surveys. Surveys were conducted in 1996/1997, 1998/1999, 2000/2001 with one currently running over the 2004/2005 period, and comprise information submitted by recreational fishers by phone and through diary returns. Information has also been derived from FRDC Project 99/158 Implementation of the National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (NRIFS). Participation in all of these surveys was voluntary and data obtained on the basis of residence, not area fished.

RFISH surveys have reported on the level of release of target fish species by anglers (Higgs 2001). By the definition in the Guidelines, specimens that are released are termed bycatch. For some fish species, the level of release can be substantial. For instance, the estimated level of release of barramundi by fishers in Queensland surveyed in 2002 was about 43% (Higgs, 2002). For other fish reported on in the survey, besides barramundi, the average level of release in 2002 was estimated to be about 30%. The fate of these discards and the level of cryptic mortality were not reported.

Indigenous Fishery It is not known what is considered bycatch and the levels that are caught and discarded through traditional fishing practices in the Indigenous sector of the ECIFF. Information has been gathered on the level of traditional harvest of finfish in the Indigenous sector of the ECIFF during the NHT/FRDC National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (see also the response to Guideline 1.1.1: the Indigenous Fishery). The survey covered mainly Gulf of Carpentaria and Northern Territory indigenous communities with catches from only a few far north east coast communities represented in the results namely, Bamaga, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah. The survey information will help fishery managers better understand the composition of the catch in this sector.

Charter Fishery Charter operators are required under their permits to return logbook information containing the number of passengers and anglers, the total number of fish kept and fish discarded and the total weight of fish harvested. These data are entered into DPI&F’s CFISH database (see response to Guideline 1.1.1). Information recorded in charter logbooks include the number of released fish during charter operations. Data from 1995 through to 2004 suggest an average of 29% of blue threadfins and 61% of sharks are released, while about 89% of barramundi and 83% of grey mackerel are released in the east coast fishing charters.

Fishery Independent Information In 2000, annual fishery independent research surveys of the Burdekin River, one of Qld’s major east coast barramundi producing areas, began (see response to Guideline 1.1.1: DPI&F LTM program). In 2002, research sampling began in a second major barramundi stream, the Fitzroy River (C. Lunow et al., DPI&F, in prep. 2004). During these surveys a small number of bycatch species were sampled including

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catfish, spotted butterfish, pufferfish, stingrays and undersized barramundi. Catch and effort data have been collected and a scientific report detailing catches and CPUE of these species is being prepared (op. cit.).

Assessments

2.1.2 There is a risk analysis of the bycatch with respect to its vulnerability to fishing.

Commercial Fishery The level of bycatch in the ECIFF net fishery has been shown to be low when compared to the processed component of the catch (Halliday et al. 2001), indicating the gear and methods used in net fishing are highly selective at harvesting the target species. In their assessment of bycatch from commercial net fishing in the ECIFF, Halliday et al. (2001) made a number of important findings:

1. Bycatch in east coast commercial netting operations for mullet, whiting, small mackerels, barramundi and mixed estuary species is low relative to other commercial fisheries. Bycatch, as a percentage of the total number of fish caught, was < 20% for netting operations targeting these species, except where whiting are targeted, where 28% of the total catch (in terms of numbers) was bycatch.

2. The discarded component of the catch consists of a multitude of species with abundances generally dominated by two or three major species and smaller numbers of individuals of a large number of other species, many of which are released alive. Catches of undersized fish regulated under Qld fishery legislation were low. Less than 6% of the total catch was individuals smaller than their minimum legal length.

3. Fate trials conducted on four fish species commonly caught and discarded in netting operations for whiting in southern Queensland, showed high survival rates for undersized fish [i.e. yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis (< 23cm TL), summer whiting Sillago ciliata (< 23cm TL), dusky flathead Platycephalus fuscus (< 30cm TL)2] and the silverbiddy, Gerres oyeana. Over a three day period, survival rates for bream, whiting and flathead were 100%; 88%, and 81% respectively, but somewhat lower for silverbiddies (67%).

4. Observations on the release condition of fish from within the tropical northern part of the fishery indicate that some fish species have relatively high mortalities before discarding (e.g. blue salmon less than the minimum legal length: see Appendix 1) while others are much more resilient to net capture, (e.g. undersized barramundi).

5. Analysis of catch data between estuaries open and closed to net fishing, indicates that the level and the composition of the bycatch would not impact significantly on the ecology of the fished environment or fish biodiversity on the tropical Queensland east coast fishery (see response to Guideline 2.3.2). This is supported by long-term DPI&F fishery independent monitoring on the fishery (DPI&F LTMP), which indicates that bycatch levels in the fishery are relatively low.

The Fisheries Regulations include numerous locations where waters are closed to commercial netting (Appendix 5). These areas provide refuge for fish stocks from commercial fishing and in some cases, protected species such as dugong, grey nurse

2 In 2002, the minimum legal size for P. fuscus was increased to 40cm TL

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sharks and turtles (see response to Guidelines 2.2.4 and 2.2.6). Substantial areas of seagrass meadows are found within inshore closures to commercial net fishing associated with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park or in State Marine Parks located in Moreton Bay and Hervey Bay - Great Sandy Straits. A three month seasonal closure for barramundi fishing (timed to coincide with peak spawning periods for this species) to commercial and recreational sectors in the entire area of the ECIFF, also serves to reduce interactions of bycatch species with fishing gears for a considerable part of the year.

Given there are well documented high levels of post-capture survival for a range of species in the commercial fishery and that levels of bycatch are quite low, about 15% of the total catch or a bycatch to catch ratio of about 0.15:1 (cf. bycatch to catch ratio of 11:1 for otter trawling: Robins and Courtney 1998), a formal risk assessment of bycatch species with respect to their vulnerability to commercial fishing in the ECIFF does not appear warranted at present. The need for a bycatch risk assessment is further reduced in view of the extensive coverage of DPI&F and GBRMPA spatial closures and lengthy seasonal closures that exist in the fishery.

It should also be noted that, despite probable high fishing mortality of some species in the ECIFF, their biology makes them relatively resilient to fishing pressure. For example silver biddies and Koningsberger’s herring (Herklotsichthys koningsbergeri)are common in the bycatch captured during netting operations for whiting. However, these species are highly resilient to fishing with minimum population doubling times of less than 15 months compared to species with more moderate resilience (i.e. population doubling times of between 1.4 and 4.4 years), and species with low resilience to fishing pressure (i.e. population doubling times between 4.5 and 14 years) (Froese and Pauly 2004).

While DPI&F considers there to be adequate bycatch mitigation through these measures on a precautionary basis alone, the opportunity to establish bycatch sustainability targets will be taken through development of a Bycatch Action Plan (BAP) subsequent to the introduction of a management plan for the fishery. The BAP will also provide a framework for collection and assessment of bycatch data with a view to producing scientifically validated data for stock and risk assessments. Similar to the Gulf of Carpentaria BAP (Roelofs 2002), it is envisaged that fisheryperformance indicators will be designed to detect long-term fluctuations in the level of bycatch from net fishing in the ECIFF.

While risk assessments in the ECIFF are undertaken on a priority basis, the species group that has been identified nationally as having a potentially high risk of over-exploitation is the tropical sharks (Roelofs 2002). The National Plan of Action-Sharkspromotes the evaluation of methodology for risk assessment of sharks and rays with a view to adopting a single national risk assessment framework. The criteria for assessing the vulnerability of shark to fishing was established early in Shark Phase II through collaborative workshops with members from CSIRO Marine Research, Qld DPI&F, Northern Territory DBIRD, Western Australian Fisheries and the Commonwealth Bureau of Resource Sciences.

Risk assessments have been completed for shark species caught in the ECIFF and GOCIFF (Gribble et al. 2004a; 2004b). By comparing the results of these assessments, it would appear that the range of shark species captured in the ECIFF is fewer than that reported in the GOCIFF (n=20 and n=28 species respectively). However, the number of fishing trips where the shark catch was recorded by observers in the ECIFF is relatively small compared to the number of observer catch records in the N3 component of the GOCIFF.

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Very few of the shark species reported caught in the GOCIFF are considered non-marketable by the commercial fishery (Roelofs 2002). It is unclear whether the same situation exists for sharks in the ECIFF. However, the proportion of whaler and hammerhead sharks in the catch identified to genus level is high in both fisheries (i.e. about 95% on the east coast and about 75% of the GoC shark catch). In addition, approximately two-thirds of the whaler and hammerhead species recorded in ECIFF catches are also recorded in the GOCIFF shark catch. This would seem to suggest that these species would most likely make up a very large part of the shark retained for sale in the ECIFF.

A number of rays previously considered as bycatch in the fishery, have recently been confirmed by DPI&F researchers as being retained by fishers (N. Gribble, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004). Only one of these species, the white spotted guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) has a potentially higher risk to their sustainability than most other elasmobranch species reported in the ECIFF commercial catch (Gribble et al.2004a).

Shark Phase II also includes a study of the biology, distribution and catch rate of members of the sawfish species group. The freshwater sawfish (Pristis microdon) is currently listed as having a high conservation status (threatened – EPBC Act 1999). Bycatch data on P. microdon has been reported by Halliday et al. (2001), and more recently through commercial fishery interactions recorded in the SOCI logbook (see response to Guideline 2.2.1). To date, there is insufficient data to assess the risk to the sustainability of sawfishes in the ECIFF. However, it appears that the location and timing of the annual inshore barramundi spawning closure (from 1 November to 1 February) may also be beneficial to sawfish during the pupping season (N. Gribble, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004).

Recreational Fishery A risk to the survival of bycatch species in the GOCIFF recreational fishery was recognized by Roelofs, 2002. The high percentages of catch discarded through catch and release procedures in the recreational fishery, suggested that the survival rate of released fish may require investigation. Handling procedures for discarded fish, especially large fish like barramundi are a possible cause of accidental mortality and may need to be improved to enhance the survival of these species in the recreational sector (Roelofs 2002).

Indigenous Fishery There is currently no information on the level of bycatch in the Indigenous sector of the ECIFF and it is not clear what is considered bycatch in this fishery (see Part 1 – the Indigenous fishery). Indigenous interactions with protected species are discussed in Guideline 2.2.2.

Charter Fishery Commercial tour operators endorse catch and release in their fishing operations and support and undertake to release fish in the best possible health (Roelofs 2002). Similarly, the SUNFISH recreational fishing body is endeavoring to educate recreational fishers on best practice fish handling methods.

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Management Responses

2.1.3 Measures are in place to avoid capture and mortality of bycatch species unless it is determined that the level of catch is sustainable (except in relation to endangered, threatened or protected species). Steps must be taken to develop suitable technology if none is available.

Current Management The level of bycatch in the commercial net fishery is relatively low (see response to Guideline 2.1.2). Measures under the Fisheries Regulations already exist that minimise the interactions of bycatch with nets within large parts of the fishery. These include:

existing DPI&F permanent closures to all commercial net fishing under the Fisheries between Hinchinbrook Channel and the NSW border (Appendix 5);

seasonal closures in a large number of tropical east coast rivers to protect barramundi and other summer spawning species and seasonal closure of Indian Head to Waddy Point on Fraser Island to protect aggregations of winter-spring spawning of tailor;

continuous weekend closures that reduce total fishing effort in the areas where commercial and recreational fisher interactions are likely to be high and

regulated net mesh sizes, net attendance rules and restrictions on the type and deployment of nets that can be used in ecologically sensitive areas (e.g. within Dugong Protection Areas: Appendix 6).

the 1 July 2004 gazettal of the GBRMP re-zoning substantially increased the area of the GBRMP permanently closed to net fishing. Complementary extension of GBRMP zones into nearshore waters and subsequent State Marine Park Zoning (implemented in Nov 2004) will effectively extend the coverage inshore coverage of net fishing closures and remove ecological effects of net fishing from areas protected under the Zoning Plans.

Proposed Management The issue of formal identification of target species in the fishery is being progressed through the Finfish MAC (F. Trippett, DPI&F, pers. comm. 2004). Targeting species previously assumed to be part of the bycatch (e.g. some sharks and rays) and attendance rules for fishing nets are under review and will be considered in the Proposed Management Arrangements document for the ECIFF Management Plan. A Bycatch Action Plan based on that developed for the GoCIFF, will be drafted for consultation with stakeholders subsequent to the introduction of a formal management plan for the fishery (see response to Guideline 2.1.5).

Research and Development New technologies are being tested by commercial net fishers in the GoC in collaboration with DPI&F scientists (Roelofs 2002). Wider adoption by east coast net fishers will be encouraged by DPI&F where there is strong evidence that these measures are effective in minimizing incidental impacts on bycatch species.

Preliminary results to date in the GOCIFF N9 fishery are encouraging however data are still too limited to draw any conclusions about their effectiveness in the tropical mesh net fisheries (Roelofs 2002). Observational data on the effect of pingers on the accidental capture of dugong is also encouraging with the devices so far being shown as effective deterrents (op. cit.). The next step in the study is to determine the

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effectiveness of the acoustic devices by using acoustic tracking devices to monitor dolphin activity around nets with and without pingers. Work is underway at DPI&F at present in developing this technology. The project has been recently completed and results are expected to be made available in the near future.

The capture of benthic dwelling bycatch species such as sawfish and rays may increase when nets are in contact with the seafloor, or as a result of folds in the net touching the sea bottom. There may be a number of ways to reduce such bycatch, including prohibiting the use of offshore mesh nets in contact with the sea floor or prohibiting fishing operations where the depth of the water is less than the drop of the net. Experimental research has been proposed (Roelofs 2002) that investigates the effects of net drop reduction on bycatch and catch to help determine whether appropriate changes to netting methods need to be considered in the GOCIFF. Results from this research could also be applied to the ECIFF.

DPI&F is developing a simple shark key so that fishers can a) provide better species identification for retained sharks and b) provide details of any interactions they have with protected/listed endangered shark species. The key will aid in obtaining accurate catch data sourced from fishers and in fulfilling Queensland’s responsibilities under the draft National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Shark) (Roelofs 2002).

Reduction of Incidental Capture of Marine Mammals by Inshore Set Nets (Natural Heritage Trust, Coast and Clean Seas Project No. 717 287).

The use of pingers/acoustic alarms as deterrents to marine mammal capture in nets is being tested and evaluated for the mesh net fisheries primarily in the GOCIFF (and for the east coast mesh net fishery through the delivery of flow-on benefits) in a project that commenced in 1999. Such devices have been proven worthwhile as bycatch reduction devices in fisheries overseas (e.g. Denmark set net fishery reduced harbour porpoise by 93%, French tuna drift net fishery reduced dolphin bycatch 80-85%). The study is funded through a NHT grant and involves staff from DPI&F, SEANET and the University of Queensland.

Industry Responses

Commercial Fishery In remaining areas open to net fishing, impacts on bycatch appear to be selective for some species but are low overall due in part to the considerable efforts by the fishers to ensure that their activities are not having an unsustainable impact on target and non-target species. For instance, bycatch in the ocean beach seine net component of the fishery is limited to undersized fish of a few demersal species (e.g. whiting, bream, flathead and dart). Fishers make determined efforts to release bycatch alive once separated from the catch. Similarly, fishers targeting other species using mesh nets clear the net of bycatch as soon as practicable and return live incidental catch to the water or minimise waste by using some species as bait for crab or line fishing operations. Research has shown that a number of these species are resilient to net capture and are expected to survive after capture (see response to Guideline 2.1.2).

Since 1999, an industry handbook assisting commercial net fishers to solve bycatch issues has been in popular use, offering improved prospects for the survival of bycatch species through the education of fishers and the usage of best practice

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methods for handling and release of bycatch species3. It is also mandatory that all Qld commercial trainee net fishers complete the Endangered and Threatened Species Awareness Course – ETS1 conducted through the Fishing Industry Training Council (FITC 1997). These approaches are part of the commercial industry’s response to emerging community expectations for appropriate education of fishers to ensure that incidental impacts of fishing upon the ecosystem are minimized.

In addition, the commercial fishing industry is committed to principles set out as a Code for standards of behaviour for responsible fishing practices that will ensure effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biological diversity that supports fishing. The Codeof Conduct for a Responsible Seafood Industry (the Code) is an initiative by the industry to ensure it operates in an ecologically sustainable manner. It is based upon the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (FAO 2004) and tailored for conditions relevant to the Australian seafood industry.

The Code was prepared by the Australian Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) - the peak national body representing wild catch, aquaculture and post harvest seafood sectors on major resource sustainability issues. It has been endorsed by the peak industry representative body in Qld, the Qld Seafood Industry Association on behalf of Qld’s commercial fishers. Several specific principles stated in the Code (Principles 1.4 to 1.8), relate to a voluntary commitment by fishers to manage the impact on bycatch in commercial fishing operations. The Code can be found online at: http://www.seafoodsite.com.au/sustainable/code.php

To give effect to the Code at an operational level in the ECIFF, regional groups of commercial ECIFF fishers are participating in research scoping Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) that will address a range of environmental performance measures including actions to manage bycatch issues in their fishery (Appendix 8). Minimum environmental performance targets are rapidly becoming fundamental to the success and security of seafood businesses that rely heavily on utilisation of our natural resources. The implementation of EMSs capable of helping the industry achieve and demonstrate improvements to its environmental performance is expected to be a cornerstone of the seafood industry’s development into the foreseeable future (Seafood Services Australia 2004).

Recreational Fishery Item Nine of the National Code of Practice for Recreational and Sport Fishing (Recfish 2001) recognises that ‘incorrect handling damages fish and reduces their chances of survival after release’. A fish out of water cannot live for more than three or four minutes because of brain damage caused by lack of oxygen. An exhausted fish played too long, may not recover. The Code urges fishers to “quickly and correctly return4 unwanted or illegal catch to the water”.

With the increasing organization of recreational fishing clubs, DPI&F encourages recreational fishers in the ECIFF to abide by agreed Codes of Practice based on the National Code of Practice which has been formally endorsed by the peak representative recreational fishing body in Qld - Sunfish. With the support of DPI&F, Sunfish seeks to educate recreational fishers on best practice fish handling methods.

3 Bycatch Solutions: The Handbook for Fisher’s in Non-Trawl Fisheries. An Industry training package sponsored by the QSIA,

the Australian Seafood Industry Council and FRDC (Leadbitter 1999) 4 Correctly returning fish means:

retrieving fish as quickly as possible; ensuring that fish are not left to flop and flail around; using wet hands and a minimum of

handling to ensure that released fish have a good chance of survival; reviving tired or semi conscious fish; holding the fish gently

and moving it forward to force water through its gills, when it has revived and is able to swim normally, set it free.

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Roelofs (2002) reported a study underway in the Northern Territory that is measuring the survival of large angler-released barramundi. The results may suggest ways of further mitigating impacts of recreational fishing practices on large tropical species inhabiting the Qld east coast.

With the recent prominence of fish welfare media articles appearing in the recreational fishing literature and national fishing shows instructing anglers on correct handling techniques, cryptic mortality caused by inappropriate handling and release procedures is likely to be decreasing as more anglers become aware of their actions (Roelofs 2002).

2.1.4 An indicator group of bycatch species is monitored. The most recent, detailed assessment of bycatch in the fishery was through research based on the voluntary commercial fisher bycatch logbook, observer catch data validation program and fishery independent estuarine fish surveys between April 1998 and July 2000 (Halliday et al. 2001). Building upon this work, DPI&F’s LTMP surveys of barramundi populations in the ECIFF are also providing data to assess trends in bycatch species composition, abundance and population structures. Capacity may exist in the future to monitor significant shifts in community structure through this Program (Roelofs 2002).

Information on bycatch in the ECIFF will continue to be collected through the DPI&F LTM program, and will assist DPI&F in building the capacity to assess trends in bycatch over time and ultimately provide better information to help reduce the risk of long-term ecological impacts in the fishery. As data become available through other information collection programs, e.g. RFISH and the NHT/FRDC National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (NRIFS), bycatch and potential indicator species groups may be identified for future monitoring by DPI&F.

2.1.5 There are decision rules that trigger additional management measures when there are significant perturbations in the indicator species numbers. A Bycatch Action Plan (BAP) including performance indicators aimed at reducing overall bycatch in the ECIFF and minimizing unintended adverse effects of fishing on protected species will be developed and introduced subsequent to the development of a management plan for the fishery. Specific information on the extent of issues, management objectives, performance indicators and possible management actions covered under the BAP for commercial net fishing in the GOCIFF are given in Roelofs (2002) and will be considered in detail during the development of a BAP for the ECIFF.

2.1.6 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective.

Evaluation of Management Measures The ECIFF commercial net fishery at present has low levels of bycatch and is unlikely to significantly impact on the populations or the biodiversity of bycatch species groups that are discarded during fishing operations (Halliday et al. 2001). Low bycatch rates in the ECIFF have been achieved through the high degree of selectivity of fishing gears and methods for targeting particular fish species and the implementation of various adaptive input and output controls via the management framework implemented under the Fisheries Regulations.

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Input and output controls that contribute to reducing fishing mortality on bycatch include gear restrictions and minimum and maximum legal size limits (Appendix 1). Permanent and seasonal commercial fishing closures of long standing, together with those more recently implemented through Marine Park planning and rezoning (see response to Guideline 2.1.3) have delivered a fishery with major areas set aside for the long-term protection of target species and species incidentally captured by the fishery. A Commonwealth funded industry adjustment scheme to reduce effort (and the ecological effects of fishing on the ecosystem, including bycatch species) is in place for the fishery (see responses to Guidelines 2.3.3 and 2.3.5).

Recreational fisheries have high levels of bycatch due to growing movement towards the practice of catch and release of fish for sporting reasons and to comply with regulated fish sizes and species. The fate of discards in the recreational fishery is not known, however survival is likely to be high for average size fish that are not damaged during the handling and release stages (Roelofs 2002). The fate of larger fish specimens, which can have high mortality if they are lifted in an unsupported manner, requires research. A study in the Northern Territory is underway that will ascertain the fate of large released barramundi and will provide valuable data for all fishing sectors in the ECIFF (see response to Guideline 2.1.3).

Management of the ECIFF will progress strategically towards lowering the levels of interactions with bycatch through risk assessments of bycatch. Assessments have been conducted on the relative level of risk to the sustainability of bycatch species within the commercial fishery with priority on species groups to be at high risk, as perceived by stakeholders of tropical inshore net fisheries. A risk assessment of tropical shark species captured in the ECIFF (Gribble et al. 2004a) is helping to identify requirements for sustainably managing this species group under a proposed management plan.

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Objective 2. The fishery is conducted in a manner that avoids mortality of, or injuries to, endangered, threatened or protected species and avoids or minimises impacts on threatened ecological communities.

Protected Species & Communities

Information Requirements

2.2.1 Reliable information is collected on the interaction with endangered, threatened or protected species and threatened ecological communities. A number of species are protected in Commonwealth waters under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999) and, in Queensland east coast waters, under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA 1992). The EPBC Act 1999 contains several provisions for protection of listed species. These provisions include the development of Recovery Plans (listed threatened species and ecological communities only), the development of wildlife conservation plans and conservation agreements (listed marine and migratory species only), and recognition of Key Threatening Processes and where appropriate reducing these processes through Threat Abatement Plans.

It is an offence to kill, injure, trade, take, keep, or move a protected species without a permit, and it is a legal requirement that fishers record captures/injuries of these species in Commonwealth waters. Information on Australian Government reporting requirements for interactions with marine species protected under the EPBC Act can be found at:

http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/fisheries/information/species.html

Commercial and recreational fishing sectors in the ECIFF do not target protected species, and any interactions that do occur are incidental to the fishing activity. Management measures and industry practices have been implemented to minimize catches of these species, and where possible, to avoid all interactions.

The ‘NC04 series’ logbook made available to fishers in April 2002, was the first logbook to contain provisions for reporting protected species interactions in the ECIFF for the purpose of obtaining more accurate information on the catch of protected species. Fishers were required to include information about the number and condition upon release of certain protected species (including turtles, sea snakes, crocodiles, cetaceans, sawfish, grey nurse and great white sharks). Other protected species that may interact with nets in the ECIFF were not included in the species codes (e.g. sea birds and syngnathids). This situation was addressed in October 2003 with the introduction of the ‘Species of Conservation Interest’ [SOCI] Reporting Logbook (Appendix 9).

The SOCI reporting logbook is specifically designed to obtain data about a greater range of species protected under the EPBC Act 1999 (Commonwealth) and the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. This will help DPI&F monitor their interactions with the fishery. Use of this logbook does not abrogate fishers from their legal obligations to report interactions with SOCI during fishing operations to the relevant conservation agency [DEH for interactions in Commonwealth waters or the Environmental Protection Agency for interactions in Queensland waters].

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Since their introduction, data on incidental interactions with protected species have been reported by fishers through the NC04 series and SOCI logbooks (Table 1). It is worth noting that all database records of reported interactions with protected species from April 2002 up to June 2004 resulted in the live release of the species involved (K. Yeomans, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004).

Table 1 Summary of the recorded incidental fishery interactions with protected species in the ECIFF, April 2002 - June 2004.

Common Name Scientific Name 2002 2003 2004

Wide Sawfish Pristis pectinata 1 1 0

Narrow Sawfish Anoxypristis cuspidata 0 0 3

Green Sawfish Pristis zijsron 0 0 1

Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata 0 16 33

Green Turtle Chelonia mydas 0 46 754

Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta 0 8 17

Turtle – Saltwater unspecified - 0 0 11

Dugong Dugong dugon 0 3 1

Dolphin - unspecified - 0 1 0

Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus 0 0 1

Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 0 0 68

Cormorant - unspecified Phalacrocorax sp. 0 0 4

Fishery dependent logbook and observer data on incidental catches of protected species in the ECIFF were reported by Halliday et al. (2001), adding a further perspective on protected species caught as bycatch. In that study, turtles were the most frequently reported protected species group in the discards from 263 net shots reported in a voluntary logbook program and 279 net shots recorded by onboard observers (Table 2). Other protected species recorded infrequently in the bycatch included sea snakes, cormorants, sawfish and a grey nurse shark.

In general, protected species were reported to be feeding on fish in the nets when captured before being released back into the water alive (Halliday et al. 2001). Mud crabs were also reported caught in commercial nets (Halliday et al. 2001) and may attract large predators including some protected species. Barramundi, large cod, sharks, turtles, rays and crocodiles all prey on adult mud crabs (Ryan 2003).

Dugong and turtle are commonly caught for traditional purposes. These rights are exercised under the guidelines of traditional community laws and are permitted under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

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Table 2 Protected species reported in the ECIFF bycatch (Halliday et al. 2001)

Discarding Frequency #

Type of nettingoperation

TargetSpecies

Species

LogbookProgram

ObserverProgram

Ring/ Haula Mullet Turtles [unidentified] Sea Snake [Hydrophis sp.] Cormorant [Phalacrocorax sp.]

152 (818) 3 (818) 2 (818)

18 (79) 0 (79) 0 (79)

Fence/ Ringb Whiting Turtles [unidentified] Sea Snake [unidentified]

64 (471) 2 (471)

10 (31) 0 (31)

Ring/ Set Gillc

SmallMackerel

No protected species reported in the bycatch

- (166) - (19)

Large Set Gilld

Barramundi Wide sawfish (Pristis microdon) Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)Loggerhead turtle (Carettacaretta)Flatback turtle (Natatordepressus)Grey nurse shark (Carchariastaurus)

1 (95) 0 (95) 0 (95) 0 (95) 0 (95)

0 (127) 2 (127) 1 (127) 1 (127) 1 (127)

Small Set Gille

MixedEstuary

No protected species reported in the bycatch

- (2) - (23)

Notesa mesh size range 75mm - 102mm b mesh size 51mmc mesh size range 112mm - 137mm d mesh size range 150mm - 215mm e mesh size range 100mm - 115mm# Numbers discarded are reported with corresponding number of net shots in parentheses

There are no threatened ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act 1999 or its amendments within the area of operation for the ECIFF.

Assessments

2.2.2 There is an assessment of the impact of the fishery on endangered, threatened or protected species.

Grey Nurse Sharks No grey nurse sharks (Carcharias taurus) have been reported in the SOCI logbook or NC04 logbook since April 2002 when protected species reporting began in the fishery. Halliday et al. (2001) reported a very low catch rate of this species in the fishery. Only a single shark was observed captured and released live from 127 shots targeting barramundi in the fishery (Table 2). Similar low grey nurse catch rates are experienced in the GOCIFF (op cit.).

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Great White Sharks Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) catches are reported in very low numbers in the DPI&F Shark Control Program. There are no records of it having been captured by net fishers in the ECIFF. The relatively low abundance of this species compared to other shark species known to occur within the fishery area and their predominantly temperate distribution (Last and Stevens 1994), suggests there is only a remote likelihood of a great white being captured in fishing activities of the ECIFF.

GlyphisThe speartooth shark, Glyphis sp. A (the Bizant River Shark), currently listed under the EPBC Act as critically endangered, has been reported in inshore waters on the north east coast of Queensland and the Gulf of Carpentaria. They are found in a range of habitats, from almost pure freshwater to offshore saline waters, although it is thought that juveniles are more likely to inhabit fresh and brackish waters. Surveys have suggested that Glyphis sp. A prefer highly turbid, flowing waters with mud rock substrate. This species has previously been reported in the Bizant and Normanby rivers of Qld’s east coast (C. Andersen, DPI&F, pers comm. 2005). Glyphis sp. A are often confused with bull sharks (Carcharinus leucas) due to physical similarities and co-occurrence. This confusion may have lead to the limited information available and lack of reports on the speartooth shark in logbooks. DPI&F are providing experienced fisheries observers, education and awareness raising material to increase the accuracy of reporting interactions with Glyphyis sp. A within the ECIFF.

SawfishSawfish (pristids) are currently listed as having a high conservation status (Appendix 10). An absence of sawfishes in the catch of commercial east coast shark fishing operations recorded in the Shark Phase II5 scientific observer program, and lower catch frequencies in the Qld Shark Control Program long-term data series, suggest that the abundance of sawfish is much reduced over their east coast range (N. Gribble, DPI&F, pers. obs., 2004).

There are three species of sawfish with habitat ranges encompassing part of the Qld east coast, namely the dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata), the freshwater sawfish (Pristismicrodon), and the green sawfish (Pristis zijsron). Catches of narrow sawfish and wide sawfish have been reported in the SOCI logbook data for the ECIFF (Table 1), but incidental catches of these species in the ECIFF have not been scientifically confirmed.

Last and Stevens (1994) have identified sawfish species with these common names as Anoxypristis cuspidata and Pristis pectinata respectively. The Queensland habitat ranges of these sawfish species appear to be restricted to the Gulf of Carpentaria and neither species has been reliably reported as occurring on the Qld east coast (Last and Stevens 1994). The recent preliminary risk assessment for east coast elasmobranchs undertaken as part of Shark Phase II (see response to Guideline2.1.2), did not cover sawfish.

Research into sawfish biology, distribution, catchability and survivability after capture is also being undertaken in the GoCIFF as part of the Shark Phase II project (Roelofs 2002). Results from this research will be used in the development of a full ecological risk assessment on the sustainability of a broad range of east coast elasmobranchs interacting with the fishery (N. Gribble, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004). When available,

5 Northern Australian Sharks and Rays: the sustainability of target and bycatch fisheries, Phase II. (FRDC Project 2002/064).

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findings from the full risk assessment will be considered to ensure that the ECIFF management regime is sustainably managing east coast pristid catches.

Sea Turtles Six species of sea turtles are listed as ‘threatened’ (endangered or vulnerable), ‘migratory’ and ‘marine’ species under the EPBC Act 1999 and occur within the fishery area (Appendix 10). There are significant rookeries for sea turtles along the Qld east coast including the only known nesting area for the North Queensland endemic flatback turtle at Crab Island (Col Limpus, Queensland EPA, pers. comm. 2003) at the extreme northern limit of the ECIFF management area. Inshore islands of the Keppel and North Point Isles Groups in central Qld are also areas of seasonally high abundance of this species. In the south, there are major mainland nesting sites for east Australian populations of loggerhead turtles on coastal beaches from the Elliot River, near Bundaberg to Wreck Rock near the Town of Seventeen Seventy. Major green turtle rookeries are located on offshore sand cays and islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

All three turtle species inhabit inshore waters putting them at risk from capture in commercial net fisheries.

Capture data in the SOCI logbook records indicate there have been 885 turtle interactions in the fishery since April 2002 (Table 1). All turtles were reported to be released alive. A high survival rate of turtles in nets has been validated through the records of onboard fisheries observers who have reported marine turtle entanglement with set nets when targeting barramundi (Roloefs 2002; Halliday et al. 2001). During ring net shots for mullet, turtles can be encircled rather than entangled in small mesh nets (Halliday et al. 2001). In each case, all recorded turtle captures resulted in successful live release by the fishers.

There has been a formal risk assessment conducted for sea turtles in the area of operation for the East Coast Trawl Fishery (Slater et al. 1998). Many of the high risk areas identified are closed to commercial net fishing including Shoalwater Bay, Keppel Bay, north-western Hervey Bay, Fraser Island and large parts of northern, western and southern Moreton Bay (Appendix 5) (see also Schedule 2, Part 4 of the FisheriesRegulations).

Estuarine crocodiles The estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) habitat overlaps with the northern half of the ECIFF. It is listed by the Qld NCA as ‘vulnerable’ and a protected species under the EPBC Act 1999 (Appendix 10). SOCI logbook data reveal incidents of crocodile entanglement to be minimal (viz. one interaction reported in seven months of fishing between November 2003 and June 2004). Crocodiles have been seen selectively feeding on fish caught in nets in the GOCIFF (Roelofs 2002). There have been no interactions between fishing operations and the freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) reported through the SOCI logbook.

Sea Snakes Halliday et al. (2001) reported the capture of a small number of unidentified sea snakes in net fishing operations for mullet and whiting (Table 2). Their release condition was uncertain. No sea snakes have been reported as bycatch in the fishery since the introduction of the SOCI logbooks in 2003.

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Syngnathids In the bycatch assessment of Halliday et al. (2001), syngnathids (pipefish and sea horses) were not recorded in the catch data from over 1500 net shots in a voluntary commercial fisher logbook program. Syngnathids were also absent in the catch data from 280 net shots monitored in the DPI&F observer program conducted to validate 1998 to 2000 ECIFF catch data.

DugongThe dugong (Dugong dugon) occurs throughout the inshore area of fishing operations of ECIFF and is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Dugong are protected under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Commonwealth’s EPBC Act 1999 (Appendix 10). Estimates for dugong populations along the east coast have varied quite considerably over the years. Surveys of the GBR area have estimated between 8000-10000 in the 1999/2000 period and 1400-1900 in Hervey Bay in 1999. Dugong populations in Moreton Bay have been difficult to assess due to seasonal fluctuations in the population for example in 1995 the population was estimated between 850- 1000 and in 2000 the estimate was 344 individuals (Marsh & Lawler, 2001; Marsh et al, 2002).

Dugong are dependent on seagrass as their only food resource and animals are likely to be concentrated where seagrass meadows are found on the Australian east coast. Seagrass areas have been identified and mapped along Qld’s east coast during broadscale surveys conducted by the DPI&F in the late 1980’s (e.g. Coles et al.1987a; Coles et al. 1987b; Coles et al. 1990; Coles et al. 1992). Areas between seagrass meadows, especially along foreshores, are likely travel thoroughfares for dugong. Many of the larger seagrass areas are already closed to commercial net fishing practices (e.g., green and yellow zones in the GBRMP and the Pumicestone Passage and Amity Banks in Moreton Bay) or have restrictions on the net fishing that is permitted in Dugong Protection Areas (Appendix 6).

The incidence of commercial net fishery interactions with dugong appears to be low. Only four dugong captures have been reported in the fishery since April 2002. This is a very low level of interaction with fishing gear compared to the interactions with several other protected species reported in the SOCI logbook (Table 1). All dugong interactions were recorded as live releases. Halliday et al. (2001) provided no evidence of interaction with any marine mammal in the fishery. The fact that their research sampling took place subsequent to, and would have been influenced by implementation of the Dugong Protection Areas during 1997, would seem to indicate that the current management regime is effective in maintaining a low risk of dugong capture in the fishery.

Indigenous fishers can harvest dugong for traditional or cultural reasons under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act. The estimated yearly harvest for traditional communities in northern Queensland was approximately 1200 dugongs in 2000/2001 (NRIFS, FRDC 2003). The level of take specifically by east coast communities is uncertain.

Cetaceans There are 26 species of cetaceans listed by Stokes and Dobbs (2001) that are known to occur in the GBRWHA (which includes the operational area of the ECIFF), two are listed as ‘endangered’ and three as ‘vulnerable’ under the EPBC Act (Appendix 10). Species that have been recorded by onboard fisheries observers interacting with commercial fishing gears in the GOCIFF and which are known to occur in the ECIFF, are the Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops

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truncatus). Other dolphin species including the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin are also known to interact with commercial fishing gears in their habitat ranges (Roelofs 2002).

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is occasionally seen close enough inshore to potentially come in contact with fishing operations in the ECIFF, but such encounters have not been recorded through the SOCI logbook. This is hardly surprising given the ability of this species to pose a danger to fishers and wreck fishing gear. It would be in the best interests of net fishers to avoid locations and times when this species is likely to be present.

Capture data from logbook also indicates interactions with dolphins in general is very low, with only a single event being recorded since April 2002. This is supported by evidence from the GOCIFF where the number of observed interactions is very low relative to the assumed size of the northern Australian populations of these species (N. Gribble, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004). Halliday et al. (2001) provided no evidence of interactions with any marine mammal in the fishery, so the risk to cetaceans from capture in the fishery appears to be exceedingly rare.

Marine Birds A number of marine bird species are known to occur within the fishery area (Stokes and Dobbs 2001). Occasional interactions with cormorants were recorded in Halliday et al. (2001) and more frequent interactions with pelicans are recorded in the SOCI logbook data (Table 1). Interactions with other marine bird species are possible but there is no evidence of this and they are considered unlikely (Appendix 11).

2.2.3 There is an assessment of the impact of the fishery on threatened ecological communities.

No threatened ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act 1999 have been identified in the ECIFF managed area. However, there appears to be considerable potential for interaction between estuarine crocodiles with commercial set mesh nets in the tropical ECIFF. Roelofs (2002) reported that there is evidence obtained from scientific observers in the inshore component of the GoCIFF that juveniles of this species may be at some risk of drowning as a result of their shoulders becoming wedged in meshes of the net, presumably whilst feeding upon enmeshed fish.

Management Responses

2.2.4 There are measures in place to avoid capture and/or mortality of endangered, threatened or protected species.

Grey Nurse Sharks Recent closures to all forms of commercial net fishing have been introduced to important grey nurse aggregation sites in southern Qld, further minimising the risk of incidental capture of this species where they are most abundant within the fishery area.

Great White Sharks See the response to Guideline 2.2.2.

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GlyphisSee the response to Guideline 2.2.2.

SawfishResults from research into pristid biology in the GOCIFF are not currently available for assessment. DPI&F will assess this information as it becomes available to develop measures to mitigate fishing impacts on pristid species in the ECIFF.

Sea Turtles In addition to the large number of permanent and seasonal fishery closures to net fishing set out in the Fisheries Regulations 1995, there have been recent major Marine Park Zoning programs for the GBRWHA, Moreton Bay Marine Park and the Hervey Bay-Great Sandy Straits Marine Park. These have set aside large sections of the fishery which are permanently closed to net fishing, eliminating the risk of turtle capture by commercial nets in these areas.

Estuarine Crocodiles Reported interactions with crocodiles has historically been low (Table 1) and will continue to be monitored through the SOCI logbooks. Entanglement of juveniles will continue to be observed and management arrangements implemented if required.

Sea Snakes There is no evidence that commercial net fishing on the east coast is impacting on sea snake species. No specific management arrangements exist or are being proposed.

Syngnathids There is no evidence that commercial net fishing on the east coast is impacting on syngnathid species. No specific management arrangements exist or are being proposed.

DugongSince 1997, Dugong Protection Areas have been in place in the fishery to minimise the likelihood and level of interaction between dugong and netting operations in areas that support high dugong numbers between Hinchinbrook Channel and the Great Sandy Straits (Appendix 6). Commercial fishing with set mesh nets is either totally prohibited in Type ‘A’ DPAs or occurs under strict regulations within a Type ‘B’ DPAs (Appendix 6).

New and more environmentally-friendly netting technologies and methods including lighter lead lines, lower mesh strength and adjustable headline set depths are being investigated by the Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishermen’s Association in collaboration with DPI&F scientists (Roelofs 2002) to reduce the risk of interactions of air breathing animals, such as dugong, with nets and facilitating their quick release, thereby increasing the survival of those that may get caught.

Cetaceans DPI&F are testing acoustic devices fitted to nets as an innovative way to estimate cetacean populations in the GOCIFF (Roelofs 2002). Acoustic pingers have been shown in overseas trials to reduce the interaction between fishing nets and dolphins. The results of this research will be assessed for applicability to east coast cetaceans as they become available.

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Marine Birds There is no evidence that commercial net fishing on the east coast is impacting most sea bird species likely to be found within the operational areas of the fishery. Pelicans and cormorants recorded in the SOCI logbooks as interacting with the fishery have been reported as being released alive. No specific management arrangements exist or are being proposed.

2.2.5 There are measures in place to avoid impact on threatened ecological communities.

See the response to Guideline 2.2.3.

2.2.6 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective.

Evaluation of Management Measures The frequency of fishery interactions with endangered, threatened or protected species in the commercial net fishery is generally low with the exception of turtles and pelicans (Table 1). These species are quite common along the whole inshore Queensland east coast; the relatively high incidental catches reflecting wider distributions of these species than most of the other protected species recorded by the commercial net fishery. According to the commercial catch database, there has been no observed mortality of protected species as a consequence of fishery interactions in the commercial net fishery. This has been verified by fishery-dependent observations by scientific observers in the fishery (Halliday et al. 2001).

The very low catch levels of other species indicate these species have a restricted distribution within the fishery area (e.g. sawfish), are not highly susceptible to capture by net gear types used in the fishery (e.g. sea snakes), or have a low risk of interacting with fishing operations due to specific precautionary management measures introduced by the Queensland Government to minimise the interactions of these species with nets (e.g. declaration of dugong and grey nurse shark protection areas and restrictions to net fishing therein).

From the SOCI logbook data supplied by commercial net fishers, DPI&F is beginning to piece together a picture of the range of protected species, their relative abundances, where they are likely to be located and their susceptibility to capture. Importantly, the information is being gathered in locations that are not regularly studied but which are visited more frequently by commercial operators. For a range of protected species, these data will be the major ongoing fishery dependent information source available to researchers and fisheries managers. Subsequent to the introduction of a management plan, DPI&F will use SOCI logbook data to develop a Bycatch Action Plan for the ECIFF in consultation with the industry and other stakeholders with specific objectives and performance indicators aimed at reducing identified impacts on endangered, threatened or protected species.

Because the netting operations conducted in the GOCIFF and the ECIFF are broadly similar in terms of gear type, the range of protected species present and the nature of interactions with the fishing gear, it is envisaged that the existing provisions for protected species in the Gulf Management Plan will become a valuable source of information in drafting management arrangements to minimise the unintended adverse effects of fishing on east coast protected species. The provisions for

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protected species that are currently in place and those that will be introduced in the ECIFF in the near future are outlined in the response to Guideline 2.1.3.

Education programs and information leaflets on certain species of conservation interest (crocodiles, cetaceans, dugong, and turtles) are available to all fishers, from Queensland Government agency offices throughout the State, which would provide a basic level of knowledge of the importance of these species and any regulations that exist to protect them. The level of knowledge of conservation issues and identification skills relating to sawfishes needs to be increased among fishers in the ECIFF.

The level of capture and/or mortality of, or injuries to, endangered, threatened or protected species in the recreational fishery cannot be estimated from present data sets. It is likely the level of interaction with sea turtles, dugong, crocodiles and cetaceans is small given that recreational fishing gears do not target these species, and for the most part, have been specifically designed to capture much smaller aquatic animals. There may well be a certain level of interaction with sawfishes from recreational line fishers but this cannot be determined from RFISH data.

Recreational fishers need to be aware of the legal requirements for reporting when dealing with species of conservation interest and will require dedicated and directed education programs. More information is required for an understanding of the interaction of recreational fishers and protected species before more specific management measures can be considered. Perhaps this can be developed through the existing RFISH program or through recreational fishing alliances such as SUNFISH.

Spatial closures to commercial fishing that contain sensitive ecological communities within their boundaries such as seagrass also protect animals that are reliant on that habitat as a food resource or other feature. This includes animals such as dugong and some species of marine turtles. Most of the major seagrass areas in the ECIFF are already protected from impacts from commercial fishing activity. Recent additional Marine Park spatial closures are protecting marine habitats and the biological diversity they support (including protected species). This provides further protection to protected species over and above that which already exists through permanent and seasonal fishing closures, DPA’s, GNPA’s and Fish Habitat Areas. Fishing restrictions imposed within Grey Nurse and Dugong Protected Areas on the east coast of Queensland are in place to limit possible interactions of these species with fishing nets.

Fisheries management in the ECIFF is adaptive and responds to new scientific and fisheries information. Where it is deemed necessary, amendments can be made to the Fisheries Regulations following appropriate stakeholder and public consultation periods. The development of a management plan, Bycatch Action Plan and the continuation of long-term monitoring of bycatch in the ECIFF will be significant milestones in maintaining the very low levels of interactions with endangered, threatened or protected species currently seen in the fishery.

The DPI&F acknowledges the relevant recovery plans for endangered, threatened or protected species (e.g., sea turtles, cetaceans, dugongs, and listed shark species) and manages the fishery with due regard for the objectives and actions within these plans (see Part 2 - Recovery Plans).

DPI&F also participates in constructive inter-agency dialogue on management of threats to marine protected species such as identifying sources of risk from Injury and fatality to vertebrate marine life caused by ingestion of, or entanglement in, harmful

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marine debris – gazetted as a Key Threatening Process under the EPBC Act on 13 August 2003. Several species listed as endangered or threatened under the EPBC Act and which occur in the ECIFF area (i.e. marine turtles, grey nurse sharks and humpback whales) have been identified at risk from ingestion of plastics or from entanglement by fishing gear that has been lost, discarded or abandoned at sea (ghost fishing). While DPI&F believes that the incidence of protected marine species entangled in commercial and recreational fishing gear in the ECIFF area is low, a formal risk assessment has not been undertaken.

The incidence of plastic debris ingestion within the fishery area by species nominated to be under threat has not been systematically documented.

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Objective 3. The fishery is conducted, in a manner that minimises the impact of fishing operations on the ecosystem generally.

Ecosystem Impacts

Information Requirements

2.3.1 Information appropriate for the analysis in 2.3.2 is collated and/or collected covering the fisheries impact on the ecosystem and environment generally.

Commercial net fishing, recreational line fishing and Indigenous fishing activities are essentially passive fishing methods that are highly species selective and have little effect on the ecosystem and environment generally (Roelofs 2002). Net fishing boats that have powered reel drums are required to have one end of the net anchored to the sea floor and are not permitted to mechanically drag gear across the sea floor. Drift fishing is allowed in the net fishery. The majority of sensitive seabed habitats in the ECIFF such as seagrass meadows and coral reefs are within spatial closures and are further protected from fishing activities which degrade habitats.

Information Sources

Fishery Dependent Data Commercial Fishing Effort Commercial fishing effort data is collected through the CFISH logbook program (see response to Guideline 1.1.1) and can be used to determine relative effort levels and areas of potentially higher ecological impact. The commercial net fishery covers most of the Qld east coast, but is more heavily fished between Cairns and Brisbane (Fig. 4.1). Several major fishing locations occur in this area where effort levels are higher than 1200 days per year and considerably higher than in the surrounding coastal areas. The higher effort locations are Halifax Bay near Townsville in north Qld, the Fitzroy River near Rockhampton in central Qld and Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Straits and Moreton Bay in southern Qld.

Commercial catch A comprehensive report on the effects of net fishing on bycatch and biodiversity in Queensland inshore waters (Halliday et al. 2001) was completed in 2001 (see response to Guideline 2.1.1).

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Figure 1 Distribution of 2003 fishing effort in the ECIFF

Tropical Resource Assessment Program Information on environmental and ecosystem impacts through fishing practices has been gathered through the TRAP (see response to Guideline 1.1.1).

Fishery Independent Data

Coastal Stream Fisheries Resource Assessments From 1993 to 2000, DPI&F conducted a rolling program of field surveys to assess the abundance, species diversity and life stages of estuarine fish communities and the condition of their habitats in east Queensland coastal streams (e.g. Russell and Hales

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1993, McKinnon et al. 1995; Russell and Hales 1997; Lupton and Heidenreich 1999; Russell et al. 2000). This information provides baselines for further monitoring to assess the condition of fishery resources accompanying human marine and catchment-based activities including fishing.

DPI&F Long Term Monitoring The Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) and Coastal CRC research collect fishery independent information on barramundi, incidental bycatch and freshwater fish species from the two largest rivers on the Queensland east coast. Data has been collected for 2000 to 2002 and are being used to monitor the barramundi resource on the east coast. Preliminary results on the collected bycatch information are in draft (C. Lunow et al. in prep. 2004). Fishery independent data are compared to commercial catch data collected through the CFISH logbook program and DPI&F LTMP fishery dependent data.

The LTMP is an adaptive resource monitoring program. The analysis of LTMP data can identify gaps in knowledge of aspects of the ECIFF resources and can suggest priorities for research to the Finfish MAC for consideration. Conversely, the Finfish MAC process may identify management priorities for research from its stakeholder members that the LTMP can then integrate into the data collection process.

DPI&F seagrass surveys DPI&F have been undertaking surveys of major seagrass areas at Cape Flattery (Cape York to Cairns), and Mourilyan (Cairns to Bowen) for DPI&F and the Ports Corporation of Queensland. DPI&F researchers have recorded the spatial extent, density and diversity of seagrass meadows over long term periods at these and at other locations where commercial net fishing occurs (e.g. Hinchinbrook Channel and Shoalwater Bay), and have drawn conclusions on the quality of inshore marine ecosystem in these areas using these seagrass parameters as health indicators.

DPI&F mangrove and coastal wetland habitat surveys Mangrove and coastal wetland habitat mapping surveys for the whole ECIFF area have recently been completed and reported on (Danaher 1995; Bruinsma et al. 1999; Danaher and Bruinsma 2000; Bruinsma 2001). The surveys have provided reliable baseline information on the spatial extent and plant species composition of these habitats that will assist sustainable management of fish stocks and other dependent coastal and estuarine resources.

Closed waters assessments Halliday et al. (2001) studied the ecological and environmental impacts of commercial mesh net fishing in tropical Queensland in detail. The study compared estuarine systems that were open to commercial fishing with closed systems and described the direct and indirect effects of fishing on the diversity and abundances of target, non-target and prey species.

Three pairs of rivers were sampled between Bowen and Cairns. Each pair consisted of a river open to commercial mesh netting and a similar system nearby that was closed to commercial netting. Data were collected from two sites within each river (upstream and downstream) every second month from March 1998 to March 2000. The findings of the study in respect of community structure and other ecosystem effects are considered in the response to Guideline 2.3.2.

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Assessment

2.3.2 Information is collected and a risk analysis, appropriate to the scale of the fishery and its potential impacts, is conducted into the susceptibility of each of the following ecosystem components to the fishery.

Impacts on Ecological Communities A generally low level of discards in the fishery (see response to Guideline 2.1.1) and the intermittent nature of net fishing and discarding indicate that there is potential to provide only a small but interrupted additional food source for opportunistic scavenging species. Long-term changes in densities of these species are unlikely. The following information has been sourced from Halliday et al. 2001.

The discarded component of the catch consists of a large number of species, many of which are discarded alive. These highly selective fisheries were not found to be affecting fish species that were not within the catching range of the nets allowed. Generally, the smaller the mesh size of the mesh nets used in the fishery, the greater the number of fish caught (Halliday et al. 2001).

Marine birds have been observed consuming discards from east coast trawl fishing operations (e.g. Hill and Wassenberg 2000). Sharks, teleosts, and invertebrate scavengers are also known to feed opportunistically on sinking discards from trawl nets (Hill and Wassenberg 1990). Species in these groups also inhabit estuaries (Halliday et al. 2001), suggesting that there is potential for provisioning from ECIFF net fishing discards. However, when it is considered that physical forcing (wind and tides) and high fisher mobility may be significant in spreading effort and fishing impacts over a number of fishing locations, there is an increased likelihood of discards dispersing over a wider area. This would favour more mobile species capable of foraging greater distances over species that have a more limited home range.

Benthic Communities Turtles, crabs, sharks, catfish, grinners, pufferfish, congrid eels, cuttlefish, and octopus are mobile benthic species reported in the ECIFF bycatch (Halliday et al.2001) that may directly benefit from feeding on discards of small fish. More sedentary infaunal animals including worms and gastropods have a potential role in processing dead organic mater derived from sunken discards.

Ecologically Related, Associated or Dependent Species The ECIFF commercial fishery is likely to have little impact on ecologically related, associated or dependent species. The fishery targets high order predator fish species with highly selective fishing gear types and methods, and catches low amounts of bycatch relative to other net fisheries (e.g. trawl fishing). The abundances of competing predator and prey were found to be similar in areas closed and open to commercial fishing in tropical east coast estuaries (Halliday et al. 2001). This indicates that removal of predator species through fishing was not sufficiently high enough to have an effect on prey or competing predator species and/or that the ecosystem was robust and flexible enough to withstand the level of removal. The result was consistent over the three tropical Queensland locations studied and may be applicable to other tropical estuaries throughout Queensland as was suggested by Halliday et al.(2001).

Marine Birds Marine raptors, cormorants, egrets, herons and pelicans are all likely to feed on floating or beach-washed small to medium sized fish discarded from commercial and

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recreational net fishing. However, the generally low discarding rates in the fishery (see response to Guideline 2.1.1) and competition that would inevitably arise among piscivorous bird species, reduces the likelihood that net fishing provides a significant additional food source for any marine bird species.

TurtlesHalliday et al. 2001 reported incidence of turtle captures during ring netting for mullet in the fishery. A number were reported to be feeding upon fish caught in the net during fishing, suggesting that turtles may indirectly benefit from access to a more concentrated food source during these fishing operations.

Ghost fishing through discarded nets is having an adverse impact on sea turtles in the area of the GOCIFF and may also be impacting on shore habitats (Limpus 2002: cited in Roelofs 2002). A large part of the offending fishing gear appears to have been discarded by foreign fishing fleets (Anon 2004), brought into northern Australian waters during illegal fishing or transported by ocean currents. In the ECIFF, a lower level of threat is thought to exist to sea turtles and other marine life from ghost nets. However, ingestion of synthetic materials used by fishers such as fishing line and bait bags appear to be responsible for the death of a small number of turtles in Qld each year (Haines and Limpus 2000).

Sharks, sawfish, dolphins and crocodiles It is recognized that dolphins, sharks and crocodiles are major piscivores and may consume meshed fish and discards from net fishing operations. While there is no evidence currently available, of dolphins being attracted to set net fishing operations to feed on captured fish, both sharks and crocodiles have been known to take fish and crabs from nets and in the process may themselves become part of the catch.

Despite the apparent robustness of the tropical estuarine based fishery there are some concerns over the sustainability of elasmobranch species in the ECIFF. Shark species in this group are currently being managed with a precautionary approach (e.g. prohibition of the removal of fins – the most economically valuable part of the shark) until a full risk assessment under the Shark Phase II study6 is completed.

A recovery plan for freshwater sawfishes (Pristis microdon) and sharks (Glyphis sp.) has been identified as a priority by DPI&F and is currently in preparation (Roelofs 2002).

Some dolphin species (i.e. Irrawaddy and bottlenose dolphins) are known to interact with net fishing activities. No specific information on population dynamics is available for dolphins in the ECIFF area and it is difficult to speculate on any large-scale, long-term impacts the commercial fishery may be having on these animals. Work is progressing towards understanding the interactions of marine mammals with mesh nets. A Queensland DPI/NHT study is underway in the GOCIFF, investigating the ability of acoustic tracking systems to monitor the effectiveness of alarm/pingers as deterrents to marine mammals (see response to Guideline 2.2.4). Results of the trials will also increase our understanding of the impacts of mesh net fishing on marine mammal populations in the ECIFF.

Water Column CommunitiesHill and Wassenberg (1990) reported that sharks were the major mid-water consumer of sinking trawl discards. Several species of carcharhinid sharks have been recorded

6 Northern Australian Sharks and Rays: the sustainability of target and bycatch fisheries, Phase II. (FRDC Project 2002/064).

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in commercial ECIFF catches (Gribble et al. in prep.; Halliday et al. 2001). It is suggested they may also feed opportunistically upon sinking discards from netting operations in the ECIFF. Pelagic fish (e.g. scombrids, carangids and tailor) potentially feed upon mid-water discards, but there is little evidence of this in data published for the fishery.

A further issue that may pose a potential risk to fauna in the marine ecosystem is harmful marine debris. Entanglement in discarded nets and ghost fishing by lost or abandoned nets have potential to impact on protected species and ghost fishing requires further investigation. There are a number of relevant factors in the ECIFF that must be considered when assessing the risk posed by ghost fishing (see response to Guideline 2.2.6).

It is likely that fishing nets washed up or discarded inshore would be quickly reported to the QB&FP by residents in coastal communities. Advice from the QB&FP indicates that the level of discarded fishing nets reported on the Queensland east coast is minimal, suggesting that ghost fishing is not a serious problem. However, the threat of marine debris (including orphaned fishing nets) to protected species potentially at risk of entanglement is being assessed and mitigation options identified on a national scale by the Australian Government (see responses to Guidelines 2.1.2, 2.1.3 and 2.3.3).

Community Structure and Productivity/Flows The removal of target and byproduct species from the natural marine environment through fishing is likely to have an effect on local food chains, but this impact is probably minimal for commercial mesh net fishing in the tropics (Roelofs 2002).

Halliday et al. (2001) analysed fishery independent catch data from several tropical estuaries either open or closed to commercial net fishing and found a number of significant effects among estuarine species catches in the ECIFF. Before experimental results are considered, it is important to note that the study found significant regional effects influencing the composition of fish species likely to be caught in the fishery. There were significant differences in fish community structure between rivers in different coastal regions. Experimental results showed a significant effect on community structure between open and closed rivers using a 152 mm mesh net. This was expected as a mesh size of 152 mm is the minimum mesh size regulated for use in the commercial net fishery in Queensland’s east coast rivers. Differences in the structure of the fish community susceptible to capture by 152 mm mesh nets were confined to variable abundance of larger target and byproduct species in the fishery (i.e. barramundi, blue threadfin and queenfish).

The major findings of their work were:

Catch rates of barramundi Lates calcarifer, queenfish Scomberoides commersonianus, estuary whalers Carcharhinus leucas and blue threadfin Eleuthronema tetradactylum, in 152 mm mesh nets indicated significantly decreased abundances in rivers open to net fishing. However, these patterns were confounded by regional and seasonal factors considered in the analysis. Significantly, there were no detectable differences between open and closed rivers among fish species caught in 51 mm mesh size and multi-panel (19, 25 and 32 mm) mesh size nets.

Seasonal factors had a greater influence on the numbers of small fish caught than whether the estuary was open or closed to net fishing. Multivariate analysis

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showed no detectable differences between rivers open and closed to commercial fishing in terms of the overall community structure. This was consistent for catches using 102 mm mesh, 51 mm mesh and multi-panel mesh nets.

For tropical east coast estuaries in general, it was concluded that although commercial fishing reduced target fish species stocks relative to areas with no commercial fishing activity, the abundance levels of prey and competing predator species did not change significantly.

Physical Environment

Benthic Habitats Mesh nets are highly selective in their ability to capture targeted species. Damage to the physical environment is minimal as nets either fish passively with only minor disturbance of the sea floor during mesh netting (e.g. the imprint of anchors required to a fix the net in position) or by manual hauling over sand/mud substrates relatively devoid of epibenthic structure such as during beach seine netting (Halliday et al.2001). Sensitive habitats (e.g. seagrass and coral reefs) are further protected from potential ecological change through permanent fishing closures within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and State Marine Parks and DPI&F net fishing closures (Appendix 5).

Water Quality In the ECIFF, commercial mesh nets are either fished passively (e.g. set mesh net fishing) or by hauling above sandy sediments as occurs during ocean beach seining. Open water drift netting also occurs but may give way to ring netting over benthic structures (L. Williams, DPI&F, pers. comm., 2004). Where the bottom of the net comes into contact with the seabed, fishing techniques are modified to minimize damage to benthic habitats and fishing gear. Where the net does not come into contact with benthic sediments, no effects on water quality would be expected. Where the net does contact the bottom, short-term suspension of sediments may be expected but are not likely to cause persistent changes to water quality when compared to changes caused by natural events such as floods, storm surges and strong tidal flows.

Recreational and Indigenous fishing activities also do not use fishing gears that are destructive to the substratum, benthos or water column communities and are likely to have minimal impact on benthic structures and water quality (Roelofs 2002).

Discharge of human waste from vessels is being addressed through recent legislative amendment by the Qld Government (see response to Guideline 2.3.3).

Management Responses

2.3.3 Management actions are in place to ensure significant damage to ecosystems does not arise from the impacts described in 2.3.1.

Sensitive Habitats Sensitive ecosystems in the ECIFF such as seagrass and coral reef areas are well protected through spatial closures to fishing and through marine plant species protection legislation under Section 51 of the Queensland Fisheries Act 1994. The Queensland Government is committed to managing fisheries resources according to

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the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The legislative means for achieving these ESD principles are outlined in Part 2 - Queensland Government legislation and management.

ClosuresWaters permanently closed to commercial and recreational fishing distributed within the ECIFF area are regulated under the Fisheries Regulations (Appendix 6), or occur within State and Commonwealth Marine Parks (e.g. the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park). Closures protect fishery resources from overfishing. They are an essential part of the overall management regime, providing an ecological buffer against depletion of fish stocks.

Recent research into the functional role of closed waters in Moreton Bay indicates that catch rates of valuable fish species targeted by recreational fishers and retained as bycatch in the commercial fishery (e.g. yellowfin bream) are significantly higher within than outside of closures. The significant species conservation and fisheries benefits that are delivered by permanent closures are consistent with worldwide findings that species are comparatively more abundant and of a larger size within areas protected from fishing (S. Pillans, University of Queensland, pers. comm., 2004).

Restocking Marine re-stocking is being trialed for some fish species where there is credible evidence that their populations have declined as a result of habitat changes (e.g. construction of dams and weirs in estuaries) or overfishing. For example, in 2000 whiting and flathead fingerlings were restocked into the Maroochy River in southern Qld and in 2003 mangrove jack were restocked into the Ross River near Townsville.

Mangrove jack fingerlings released into the Ross River are being monitored for their movement, age, growth rate, survival and overall condition. The Townsville community has also been asked to assist with the project by providing recapture information. If successful, more releases of mangrove jack are planned to help maintain stocks of an important predatory fish species of Queensland east coast streams.

Water Quality The Queensland Department of Transport regulates discharge from vessels within State Waters (3nm from the coast). Vessel-sourced sewage legislative requirements commenced on 1 January 2004 to help minimise the likelihood of impacts from sewage generated onboard vessels. The sewage management requirements are detailed in the Transport Operations (Marine Pollution) Act 1995 and TransportOperations (Marine Pollution) Regulation 1995 (Regulation). These requirements will affect all vessels which have a toilet fitted and can discharge sewage.

The first phase will apply to identified nil-discharge waters. These areas are marinas, boat harbours, canals and the Noosa River system and designated areas of state marine parks. From 1 January 2004 vessel owners will need to ensure that no sewage is discharged in these waters. Sewage management measures can include, always using onshore toilets when docked, encouraging passengers to use onshore facilities before heading out, containing sewage in a sewage holding device, and being aware of the designated areas in marine parks where discharge is prohibited.

The legislative direction was developed following public consultation and discussions with key stakeholders. The legislation will assist in the protection of Queensland waterways and waterway users from vessel-sourced sewage. More extensive onboard

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sewage management requirements commenced on 1 July 2004. Educational messages and materials have been widely distributed to vessel owners since the new legislation came into force. Vessel owners are made aware of the legislative requirements and, where appropriate, adopt onboard sewage management measures.

Marine Debris DPI&F is participating in Australian Government efforts to quantify and address risk of incidental capture of marine fauna by harmful marine debris. Sources of harmful marine debris as a key threatening process under the EPBC Act were identified at multi-jurisdictional workshops in Brisbane and Adelaide in 2004 (Anon. 2004). Avoidance of unconscionable discarding of fishing line, nets and disposal of waste are key points in Codes of Practice developed by both the commercial and recreational fishing industries to protect habitats and aquatic biodiversity (e.g. Australian Seafood Industry Council and Recfish Australia 2001). State governments are being encouraged to implement programs that address these issues and ensure the survival and health of species at risk of being adversely affected by harmful marine debris (see response to Guideline 2.2.6).

2.3.4 There are decision rules that trigger further management responses when monitoring detects impacts on selected ecosystem indicators beyond a predetermined level, or where action is indicated by application of the precautionary approach.

There are currently no specific management arrangements or review provisions set out within the Fisheries Regulations that relate directly to ECIFF ecosystem impacts. This issue will be considered in the management planning process for the fishery. Similar to the GOCIFF, development of a Bycatch Action Plan with full industry and stakeholder involvement will be undertaken subsequent to development of an ECIFF Management Plan. It is considered prudent that an ECIFF Management Plan also takes into account management actions, with measurable performance criteria that address potential impacts on ecosystem components within the area of the fishery.

2.3.5 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective.

Currently, no specific decision rules relating to trigger levels or linked to indicator species have been developed in relation to impacts to the broader marine ecosystem within the ECIFF. All available evidence suggests there is only a minimal impact upon the broader marine ecosystem from the fishery using current gear and at current levels of effort.

To ensure that the fishery remains sustainable, DPI&F is progressively participating in and implementing programs to obtain adequate information to reduce uncertainty in making decisions that will reduce the risk of unsustainable incidental impacts upon non-target components of the fishery ecosystem. Legislative provisions also exist to ensure that DPI&F has adequate capacity to satisfactorily respond to a threat to the sustainability of the fishery. DPI&F is also committed to inter-jurisdictional cooperation in the sustainable management of Australia’s marine resources. The programs outlined below have been highlighted for their perceived benefits to a sustainable fishery.

Emergency Declarations Where an impact breaches the principles of the precautionary approach to environmental management, emergency fisheries declarations can be enacted under

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Section 43 of the Fisheries Act. Such a declaration may be made only if the DPI&F is satisfied that urgent action is needed to manage a threat to fisheries resources or fish habitat or other emergency. Threats to sustainability of the fishery can be dealt with using these provisions.

Fishery Management Planning The survey of east coast commercial net fishers in the 2003 DPI&F East Coast Net Review gathered information on fishing gear specifications and its spatial and temporal deployment in targeting various species. This information will be used during the development of a proposed management plan for the fishery to identify, and where appropriate put in place steps to mitigate impacts on marine communities and non-target species based on the responses from fishers about specific strategies they employ to minimize interactions with bycatch while net fishing.

Monitoring Ecosystem monitoring occurs as a consequence of DPI&F’s LTMP currently in place in the ECIFF area. Collection and recording of bycatch information has been recently incorporated into the DPI&F LTMP for barramundi with preliminary results now becoming available (C. Lunow et al. in prep. 2004). Capacity exists to monitor significant shifts in community structure through this Program (Roelofs 2002).

Strategic Marine Planning Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan Additional protected areas have recently been extended inshore into coastal and estuarine waters in the ECIFF area as part of the amended GBRMP Zoning Plan which came into force on 1 July 2004. GBRMP protected areas or ‘'No-Take Zones’ exclude all forms of commercial fishing including net and line fishing.

Industry Structural Adjustment The Australian Government has agreed to implement a structural adjustment package for fishers significantly affected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park rezoning. In accordance with the Australian Government’s Marine Protected Areas and Displaced Fishing policy, the Government has agreed to ensure the fair and equitable treatment for those fishers, fishery related businesses, employees and communities that experience significant negative impacts due to the rezoning. The structural adjustment process will be managed by the Queensland Government assisted by a Technical Advisory Panel including representation from the DPI&F, Queensland Seafood Industry Association and conservation agencies (QRAA 2004).

Through the structural adjustment package, financial assistance will be made available to commercial fishers, their employees, fishery related businesses and communities who are significantly adversely affected by the rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. As fishing effort is displaced in the ECIFF, it will be the task of the Technical Advisory Panel to advise on the final criteria for the adjustment package to achieve in the most cost effective manner, management of displaced fishing effort to avoid unsustainable ecological or economic impacts.

Industry Initiatives East coast commercial net fishers are participating in research to investigate best practice standards for managing fishing impacts on target and non-target species and the wider marine environment. DPI&F, Qld EPA, UNEP, University of Qld, CRC Reef, CRC Coastal Zone and FRDC are providing support for this research. More detailed

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information regarding current development of industry-initiated environmental management for sustainability in the ECIFF is supplied in Appendix 8.

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Abbreviations and Acronyms AFFA Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry Australia

AFMA Australian Fisheries Management Authority

AGDEH Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage

BAP Bycatch Action Plan

CFISH Commercial Fisheries Information System

CHRIS Coastal Habitat Resources Information System

CPUE catch-per-unit-effort

CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Marine Research

DAFF Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries

DPI&F Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

ECIFF Queensland East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery

EPBC Act 1999 Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

ESD Ecologically Sustainable Development

FHA Fish Habitat Area

Finfish MAC East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery Management Advisory Committee

FRDC Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

GBR Great Barrier Reef

GBRMP Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

GBRMPA Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

GBRWHA Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

GoCIFF Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Finfish Fishery

GVP Gross Value of Production

The Guidelines AGDEH’s Guidelines for Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries, September 1999.

IMCRA AGDEH’s Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia

LTMP Long Term Monitoring Program

MAC Management Advisory Committee

MLS Minimum Legal Size

MSY Maximum Sustainable Yield

NCA 1992 Nature Conservation Act (Queensland) 1992 NPOA National Plan of Action for the Conservation and

Management of Sharks NRIFS National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey

OCS Offshore Constitutional Settlement

QB&FP Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol

QDPI&F Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

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QFMA Queensland Fisheries Management Authority

QFS Queensland Fisheries Service

RFISH Recreational Fisheries Information System

ROFAs Recreational Only Fishing Areas

SOCI Species of Conservation Interest

TAC Total Allowable Catch

TL Total Length

TRAP Tropical Resource Assessment Program

WCU World Conservation Union

WHA World Heritage Area

YPR Yield Per Recruit

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