5. Commercial and non-commercial use

For the purposes of this report, the term ‘fishing’ includes recreational, charter and commercial fisheries. Fishing activities associated with traditional use are considered in Section 5.9. Where fishing can occur in the Marine Park is primarily set by the zoning plans and Queensland fisheries legislation. Under the zoning plans, approximately two‑thirds of the Marine Park is open to some form of fishing. 

Currently, no marine-based aquaculture facilities operate in the Region. Land-based aquaculture is considered in Section 6.4.1. 

Recreational fishing is an important pastime for many Australians and is one of the most popular activities on the Great Barrier Reef. During the 2019–20 period, approximately 660,000 Queenslanders participated in 2.8 million days of recreational fishing.¹²²¹ This is a slight increase in effort days from the surveys in 2013–14 and 2010–11, which recorded 2.5 and 2.6 million days, respectively.^1222,1223

As the Queensland population has grown since 2019, recreational vessel registration has continued to increase to the highest on record (Section 5.5). Within the Region, fishing effort was highest in the Mackay and Cairns regions.¹²²¹ The distance travelled to boat ramps to access the Reef for recreational fishing has decreased since 2019.¹²²⁴ Most fishing occurred inshore (less than 5 kilometres from the coastline).¹²²¹

Queenslanders spent approximately $630 million on recreational fishing items in 2019–20.¹²²¹ Line fishing was the most common method used by fishers, and shore-based fishing was more popular than boat-based fishing.¹²²⁵ 

In 2023, coral trout was the most commonly harvested fin fish species from the Region by boat-based anglers. Mud crab is also frequently harvested from the Region. The other types of finfish kept by boat-based anglers vary regionally, but include saddletail snapper, grass emperor, pikey bream and redthroat emperor (Figure 5.4). Diary surveys of both shore-based and boat-based recreational fishers report harvest of similar species. Fishers also commonly harvest mullet, hussar and sand whiting. More than 70 per cent of fish caught recreationally were released in the Region.¹²²⁴ 

Charter fishing operators take paying customers on boat trips on a tourism vessel for the purpose of recreational fishing. Despite a concerted effort by the Queensland Government to grow the charter fishing industry,¹²²⁶ from 2019 to 2020 effort within the Region decreased by 40 per cent and harvest decreased by nearly 50 per cent (Figure 5.5).¹²²⁷ These decreases are likely due to national and state border closures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.¹²²⁶ Effort and harvest have increased in recent years but have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Participation in the sector (number of active Queensland licences) also declined from 92 in 2019 to 81 in 2022.¹²²⁷

Coral trout and redthroat emperor made up 44 per cent of the total harvest between 2019 and 2022, with saddletail snapper, crimson snapper, Spanish mackerel and red emperor also key target species.¹²²⁷ These species are also key targets for recreational fishers and the Reef line fishery and have been subject to fishery stock assessments since 2019.¹²²⁸

Commercial fishing | Trawl, net, line and pot remain the most significant commercial fishing methods in use in the Region (Table 5.1). In 2022, the commercial harvest (retained catch) of fisheries product in the Region was about 5000 tonnes, not including marine aquarium fish or coral.¹²²⁷ The management arrangements for all commercial fisheries in the Marine Park have undergone significant reform since 2017, as part of the implementation of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 (Sustainable Fisheries Strategy) (Box 5.2). This includes setting sustainable catch limits at around 60 per cent pre-fishing biomass by 2027 to achieve maximum economic yield for all Queensland fisheries and setting clear triggers for management action (for example biomass reference points). Compulsory catch‑reporting arrangements and vessel tracking systems are in place for the commercial sector. Data validation through independent onboard observers is being implemented across many commercial fisheries (Box 5.3). 

The Queensland commercial fisheries industry relies heavily on export, airfreight and visitors, which were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.¹²²⁹ Many commercial fishing businesses stopped fishing and exporting in the 2019–20 financial year because of the loss of international markets and international freight.¹²²⁹

Trawl fisheries are Queensland’s largest commercial fisheries with two operating in the Region: the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery, and the River and Inshore Beam Trawl Fishery. The East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery, which operates in more open waters, accounts for approximately 99 per cent of the total harvest taken in trawl fisheries each year (Table 5.1). The number of licences operating in the Region and the effort (in fishing days) has remained relatively stable since 2019, but there is potential for the fishery effort to increase under current management arrangements. While historical catch levels in the Region peaked in 1995 at around 8300 tonnes, long-term (annual) harvests are well below this level (Figure 5.6).¹²³⁰ Annual harvest declined from 1997 before stabilising between 3100 and 3600 tonnes in 2015 (Figure 5.6).¹²³⁰

Trawl fishing is allowed in all General Use Zones (with some additional spatial restrictions) of the Marine Park, totalling 34 per cent (118,488 square kilometres) of the World Heritage Area.¹²³¹ Historically, the fishery was managed as a single entity. In 2021, the fishery transitioned to a regional management framework as part of the broader reforms. It is now guided by regional harvest strategies for the following five trawl regions: Northern,¹²³² Central,¹²³³ Southern Inshore,¹²³⁴ Southern Offshore,¹²³⁵ and Moreton Bay ¹²³⁶ that does not operate in the Region. Most of the effort is concentrated between Cooktown and Townsville in Far North Queensland, and between Rockhampton and the Gold Coast.¹²³⁷ In the outer southern Reef, some areas are particularly deep (down to about 250 metres) and continue to have some of the highest trawl footprints and effort intensity.¹²³⁸ Some species, such as the Moreton Bay bug,¹²³⁹ have strong genetic connectivity indicating a single biological stock across the whole fishery.

Trawl fishers in the Region target major commercial species, such as prawns, scallops, bugs and squid.¹²³⁷ Since 2019, stock assessments have been completed for multiple key target species including tiger prawn,¹²⁴⁰ eastern king prawn,¹²⁴¹ red spot king prawn,¹²⁴² endeavour prawn,¹²⁴³ Moreton Bay bug ¹²⁴⁴ and saucer scallops⁷⁹³ (Table 5.2). For 2020, the stock status of all these species is assessed as sustainable, except for saucer scallops which are depleted.^{794,1245,1246,1247,1248,1249} The fishery interacts with a wide array of non-target species which are discarded as bycatch, including invertebrates, fish, sea snakes, marine turtles, seahorses and pipefish, sharks and rays (Section 5.4.3).

Saucer scallops are targeted by trawlers using otter trawl nets with large mesh but also appear as incidental catch while other species are targeted.¹²³⁷ Fishery-independent surveys of scallops in the trawl fishery have indicated very low scallop densities, including within replenishment areas, and poor recruitment levels.¹²⁵⁰ The 2022 stock assessment estimates the scallop biomass at 15 per cent of unfished biomass ⁷⁹³ and the stock is currently classified as depleted.⁷⁹⁴ Management actions have not been successful in rebuilding the stock, and since 2019, it has remained below the 20 per cent limit reference point set out in the Queensland Sustainable Fishery Strategy 2017–2027.¹²⁵¹ In 2021, the Fisheries (Saucer Scallops) Amendment Declaration 2021 was enacted to prevent the take of saucer scallops in the Southern, Inshore and Central trawl regions. This closure will remain in place until the scallop stocks have rebuilt to a 30 per cent biomass level.

Saucer scallop can still be taken in the Southern Offshore region on the basis that they are assumed to not contribute to the spawning biomass fishery.¹²⁵² Similarly, scallops that spawn east of K’gari (Fraser Island) may not be strongly reproductively connected to those on fishing grounds between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay.⁷⁹³ However, some uncertainty remains around the accuracy of the assumption that the scallops from the Southern Offshore region are biologically distinct from the two closed fishery regions.¹²⁵⁰

The East Coast Inshore Fishery is a multi-species multi-gear fishery that covers all tidal waters from the tip of Cape York to the New South Wales border. In the Region, the main gear types are mesh, net, bait net and line and the fishery primarily targets barramundi, threadfin, grey mackerel and shark.¹²⁵³ Many of the species are also targeted by line fishers, recreational fishers and charter fishers.¹²⁵³ Commercial effort in the East Coast Inshore Fishery has been reduced in the past decade with the removal of 120 large mesh net licences.⁵ In 2023, the Australian and Queensland governments committed to further action to completely phase out gillnet fishing (specifically N1, N2 and N4 Queensland licences) in the Marine Park. This included a reduction in the number of gillnet licences in the Marine Park before 31 December 2023 (from approximately 240 licences down to 40). The remaining licences will be phased out by 30 June 2027 through the Fisheries and Other Legislation (Structural Reform) Amendment Regulation 2023.

In 2019, there were sustainability concerns for black jewfish.⁵ Historically considered a by‑product species within the inshore net fishery, black jewfish has become a targeted line-caught species.¹²⁵⁴ Nominal catch rates have been steadily increasing over the past 20 years, with the most notable increases seen in 2018–19.¹²⁵⁵ Over the 5 years from 2017 to 2021, the estimated Queensland east coast total retained catch averaged 82 tonnes per year with 57 tonnes (69.1 per cent) caught by the commercial sector and 24 tonnes (28.8 per cent) by the recreational sector.¹²⁵⁴

In 2022, the first stock assessment for Queensland east coast black jewfish found that the stock is healthy, being at least 56 per cent of the unfished spawning biomass.¹²⁵⁴ The total allowable catch on the east coast was subsequently set at 54 tonnes for 2023. Recreational fishers are also permitted to target the stock. Increased commercial fishing pressure will continue while there is high demand for swim bladders in overseas markets and while high prices are attainable.

Fishers in the inshore fishery can harvest a variety of shark and ray species, but the extent differs to which each is targeted, retained and discarded. The targeted take of sharks in the fishery is restricted using a total allowable catch limit. The statuses of the northern Australia spot-tail shark stock ⁴²² and the east coast stocks of the Australian blacktip shark ⁴²¹ and common blacktip shark ⁴²⁰ were assessed as sustainable in 2020. The proposed removal of gillnets from the Region is likely to reduce the ecological risk posed to shark species. Since January 2024, the take of hammerhead sharks from the Region is no longer permitted. Implementation of monitoring, planned as part of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy, will improve the understanding of retained and discarded shark catch. 

In the Spanish Mackerel Fishery (a line-only fishery) the majority of commercial catch is taken from north Queensland, off the coast of Townsville.¹²⁵⁶ While Spanish mackerel are widely distributed around the northern Australian coastline, the Queensland fishery targets a single biological (genetic) stock.¹²⁵⁶ During spring, east coast Spanish mackerel form predictable spawning aggregations in waters north of Townsville, in October and November each year.¹²⁵⁶ These spawning aggregations support most commercial fishing effort and catch with estimates of around 40 per cent of the annual Queensland commercial harvest taken from the Region during the spawning season.¹²⁵⁶ The predictable schooling and aggregation behaviour has been associated with vulnerability to overexploitation and rapid stock depletion. Such behaviour can be associated with hyperstability, where catch rates remain generally stable as the fish population declines and fishery performance is overestimated.¹²⁵⁶

The spawning biomass of Spanish mackerel has declined significantly as a result of historically high harvest levels.^1256,1257 From 2016 to 2020, the total Spanish mackerel annual harvest by all fishing sectors averaged 515 tonnes per year, which is approximately half the annual average harvested between 1973 and 2004. Estimated recreational catch in Queensland declined from 231 tonnes in 2013–14 to 171 tonnes in 2019–20.^{1221,1223,1257} In 2021, the east coast Spanish mackerel stock was assessed as depleted, with the spawning biomass at 17 per cent of unfished levels.^1256,1258 In response to this decline, new management arrangements were implemented with the aim of rebuilding the stock while still providing a level of more controlled access for recreational and commercial fishers. The changes include short seasonal closures to reduce the overall targeted fishing mortality and to improve protection of critical spawning aggregations. Also, the recreational possession limit was reduced to 1 fish per person or 2 fish per boat when 2 or more persons are onboard, and the total allowable commercial catch was reduced to 165 tonnes for the 2023 fishing season.¹²⁵⁸ The effectiveness of these measures in rebuilding the depleted stocks in a timely manner is yet to be determined.

The Rocky Reef Fishery is one of the smallest line-only commercial line fisheries operating in Queensland.¹²⁵⁹ It harvests 8 species or species complexes and predominantly targets Australian snapper and pearl perch.^1260,1261 While some take of these species occurs in the Region, most of the catch is from further south.¹²⁶²

In 2020, the status of the Queensland component of Australian snapper was assessed as depleted, and the stock was assessed as recruitment overfished in 2018 with biomass estimated to be between10 and 45 per cent of unfished levels.^1261,1263 The stock assessment has not been updated since 2018. Commercial harvest of snapper in Queensland in 2019 was 25 tonnes, a level approximately 44 per cent lower than 2016 and 63 per cent lower than the previous 10-year average.¹²⁶¹ Maintaining total harvest at previous levels is unlikely to rebuild stocks in the Queensland component of the stock, given the depleted state of the stock and low estimated spawning ratios.¹²⁶¹ Similarly, the east coast pearl perch stock was classified as depleted at the beginning of 2020, with declines to around 22 per cent of unfished spawning biomass.^1264,1265 

In September 2019, urgent management action for the Rocky Reef Fishery was introduced to reduce the impacts of fishing on depleted stocks of snapper and pearl perch while a rebuilding harvest strategy is developed.¹²⁵⁹ These management actions included new seasonal closures, commercial catch limits for snapper and pearl perch, and size restrictions. Modelling of environmental changes and the effects on snapper and pearl perch suggest that historical levels of harvest of these species are unlikely to be achievable in the future.¹²⁶⁶

The commercial component of the Reef Line Fishery, previously named the Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery, is a line-only fishery that operates predominantly in the Marine Park. It is Queensland’s second most valuable fishery after the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery.¹²⁶⁷ The majority of the catch is commercial harvest of coral trout for the live export market. Other target fish include redthroat emperor, saddletail snapper, red emperor and a range of other tropical snappers and bottom-dwelling reef fish. Charter and recreational fishing sectors also target the same species. The commercial component of the fishery is managed with total allowable commercial catch limits which are adjusted via individual transferable quotas, limited entry, minimum and maximum size limits, short spawning closures, no-take species, gear restrictions and vessel and tender restrictions. The estimated export value of this fishery experienced an increase from $7 million in the 2018–19 financial year to $12 million in 2019–20 but decreased the following year to $10 million after exports were affected by COVID-19.¹²⁶⁸

In 2020, the spawning biomass of coral trout was 59 per cent of unfished biomass and status of the stock was considered sustainable (Table 5.3, Section 8.3.4).^1269,1270 Between 2017 and 2021, the Queensland total retained catch averaged 1002 tonnes per year, including 812 tonnes by the commercial sector (Figure 5.7), 68 tonnes by the charter sector, 111 tonnes by the recreational sector and 11 tonnes by traditional fishing.¹²⁶⁹ From 1 July 2023, the total allowable commercial catch for coral trout has been set at 912 tonnes which is a 51-tonne reduction from the previous year.¹²²⁸ There is uncertainty around whether the current stock assessment adequately reflects increased recreational effort since the COVID-19 pandemic.¹²⁷¹ Redthroat emperor abundance was at 72 per cent of unfished biomass in 2020 and the status of the stock is sustainable.^1272,1273

The first Queensland east coast stock assessments for three other target species in the Reef Line Fishery, red emperor, saddletail snapper and crimson snapper, were completed in 2021.^{1274,1275,1276} The assessments showed small increases in biomass for all three species since historical declines, but all were below the 60 per cent target for biomass (Table 5.3). The saddletail snapper stock level was estimated to be between 13 and 73 per cent of unfished biomass, with the most likely estimate at 23 per cent. This is marginally higher than spawning biomass limit reference point (20 per cent) that is identified in the harvest strategy beyond which management efforts to rebuild stocks will be required.

Several crab species are commercially and recreationally targeted in the Region. In the Queensland crab fisheries, most of the annual harvest in the Region since 2019 has been mud crab. Spanner crab and blue swimmer crab harvests are mostly south of the Region and are taken in very small numbers from within the Region.¹²²⁷ The three species are managed under separate harvest strategies ^{1278,1279,1280} and the status of each was assessed as sustainable in 2020.^327,328,1281 The protection of female crabs and size limits that protect small males remain important measures for sustainability.^327,328,1281

The harvest of mud crabs in Queensland is higher than all other Australian mud crab fisheries combined (Northern Territory, Western Australian and New South Wales).¹²⁸⁰ However, commercial catch of mud crabs within the Region has declined in recent years, which reflects similar declines across the whole Queensland fishery, including recreational harvest.¹²⁸⁰ The commercial catch from the Region fell from around 703 tonnes in 2018 to 434 tonnes in 2022. Reduced catch rates, reflected in this decline in total harvest, are reported by commercial fishers as not being economically viable.¹²⁸⁰ A stock assessment for mud crabs has not been completed; however, the stock status for the Queensland East Coast management unit was identified as being sustainable in 2020.³²⁸ The blue swimmer crab stock has been declining since the mid-2000s and was around 33 per cent in 2018–19.^327,1282 Low catch rates continue to affect the profitability of the fishery, and there is competition for access to stock between commercial and recreational sectors. In 2022, the export approval for blue swimmer crab and mud crabs was revoked.¹²⁸³

The Australian east coast fishery for spanner crab is shared between Queensland and New South Wales and is the largest in the world.¹²⁸⁴ The Queensland commercial sector accounts for 80 per cent of annual harvests of the single Australian stock.¹²⁸⁴ After 2012, the fishery experienced several years of declining catches (Figure 5.8). In 2019, the total commercial spanner crab harvest in the Region was 54 tonnes, and in 2022, it was 610 tonnes.¹²²⁷ The spanner crab fishery relies heavily on export markets. In 2020, the fishery was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to instability in market demands and transport, with just 18 tonnes being harvested in the Region.

Ongoing concerns remain about high latent effort in the crab fisheries, competition between commercial and recreational sectors and black-marketing due to the high value of products from this fishery.^1285,1286 In addition to compulsory vessel tracking in the commercial fishery, a number of new management arrangements came into effect on 1 September 2019. These included introducing individual transferable quota for mud and blue swimmer crabs, managing the recreational take of the two target species, and reducing risks associated with the black‑marketing of mud crabs. The measures include reducing possession limits for both species, imposing a boat limit for mud crabs and improving pot identification measures. Given implementation is only recent, information is limited on how these measures are influencing the impact of the fishery.¹²⁸⁶

The main commercial dive-based harvest fisheries operating within the Region are the Sea Cucumber Fishery, Coral Fishery, Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery and the Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery.

The Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery operates in offshore waters from Cape York to Tin Can Bay. The fishery allows collection by hand only and harvests more than 20 species of sea cucumber. The key target species are the burrowing black fish, white teatfish and black teatfish.¹²⁸⁷ The Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery Harvest Strategy: 2021–2026 was implemented in September 2021 to formalise the previously voluntary measures the industry was taking.¹²⁸⁷ The fishery is managed by limited entry (18 licences across 2 operators), transferable quota and a rotational harvest arrangement under which harvest reefs are split into 158 zones and a maximum fishing effort of 18 days per zone per year is allowed. The harvest strategy has species-specific management limits in biomass or catch to trigger specific actions. Species are harvested by hand collection only. There is no minimum size limit.¹²⁸⁷

The total annual quota for the fishery is 391 tonnes, split between 53 tonnes for white teatfish, 30 tonnes for black teatfish and 308 tonnes for other sea cucumbers.¹²⁸⁷ The average annual total harvest for the fishery was 346 tonnes between 2019 and 2023. The annual harvest of white teatfish was around 52 tonnes between 2017 and 2020, while the annual harvest of black teatfish tonnes was around 30 tonnes in 2020 and 2021.³⁴⁷ 

Fishing for black teatfish reopened in 2019 after two decades of closure. The 2020 stock assessment for black teatfish estimated biomass at around 40 per cent of unfished stocks, indicating there is limited evidence of recovery since closure (Section 8.3.3).³⁴⁷ The 2021 stock assessment of white teatfish estimated the exploitable biomass in 2021 was 76 per cent of unfished levels in 1995 ¹²⁸⁸ and the 2020 stock status was assessed as sustainable.¹²⁸⁹ However, uncertainty in this assessment remains due to the lack of biomass surveys for the species and assumptions underlying the assessment.¹²⁹⁰ Since 2019, no updated stock assessments for other species targeted by the fishery, including prickly redfish, amberfish and burrowing blackfish, had been completed at time of writing of the Outlook Report 2024. However, several assessments were underway.

The Queensland Coral Fishery is a hand-collection harvest fishery operating along the Queensland east coast, from the tip of Cape York to the southern border of the Great Barrier Reef. This fishery supplies live coral to domestic and international markets. Collection can only take place within permitted zones of the Marine Park. Approximately 38 per cent of the Marine Park is closed to commercial coral collection.

The fishery targets a large range of species which are predominantly exported.¹²⁹¹ The total allowable commercial catch of 200 tonnes is divided into 60 tonnes for ‘specialty coral’ and 140 tonnes for ‘other coral’. Total annual harvest generally fluctuates between 74 and 110 tonnes since 2006 but exceeded 110 tonnes for the first time in 2018–19. The amount of effort, participation rates and the number of pieces of coral collected have increased in recent years (Figure 5.9).¹²⁹¹ These increases reflect a change in the dynamics of the fishery with larger quantities of smaller corals and coral fragments retained. This change is likely driven by increased market demands, as well as improved collection techniques, operating procedures for export and advancement in propagation techniques in aquaria.¹²⁹¹ The combined coral harvest and marine aquarium fisheries have the highest estimated export value of all fisheries in Queensland, which increased from $14 million in the 2018–19 financial year to $19 million in the 2020–21 financial year.¹²⁶⁸

The Queensland Coral Fishery is currently undergoing reform driven by the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy and the requirement to address conditions of approval as a wildlife trade operation. Export by the fishery was approved under the EPBC Act in 2021, allowing export to continue for 3 years until October 2024, subject to conditions. A harvest strategy was implemented in 2021 and an ecological risk assessment conducted in 2022.^1291,1292 The harvest strategy, among other provisions, establishes a series of decision rules, trigger limits and reference points to guide the management of key species.¹²⁹¹ The reforms aim to transition the fishery to a more comprehensive system of output controls specific to individual species and genera. These output controls will be supported by corresponding advancements in the systems used to monitor, report and validate catch data. A mechanism is also under development to distinguish between, and trace, wild‑harvest corals and captive-bred corals.

Despite this progress, some uncertainties remain regarding the impacts of the fishery, such as the extent of localised depletion for species of high value and low abundance. There is also significant potential for catch and effort to increase at the species or regional level under current management arrangements.¹²⁹² The effects of disturbances (for example, due to climate change threats) on the viability of the fishery into the future is not well understood.¹²⁹² Available information on non-commercial collection of coral is limited, affecting broader understanding of the overall impact of coral collection from activities such as research, Indigenous take and reef intervention activities.¹²⁹¹

The Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery primarily operates within the Region. It collects a wide variety of fish and invertebrates for the live aquarium trade,¹²⁹³ most of which is exported under a wildlife trade operation approval.¹²⁹⁴ While the number of active licences has generally remained stable between 23 and 30 since 2010, there has been a decline both in effort and in the number of operators reporting catch from the fishery each year.¹²⁹⁵ This corresponds to operators prioritising the harvest of corals in the Queensland Coral Fishery, likely due to changes in market demand.

Between 2010 and 2022, at least 20 families of marine fishes, marine invertebrates and elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) were retained in the fishery.¹²⁹⁵ More than 1500 marine species could be harvested from Queensland, but only a few hundred are collected regularly. Approximately 70 per cent were fishes (primarily damselfishes and wrasses).¹²⁹⁵ Stock assessments and stock status reports have not been conducted for most targeted species. A 2020 ecological risk assessment for the fishery found that the ecological impact of the fishery is generally considered to be low. However, there are a number of deficiencies in the data and in the catch reporting.¹²⁹⁶ An updated ecological risk assessment for target species is being prepared, and improvements to data collection are planned under the Queensland Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery Data Improvement Plan.

The Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery operates almost exclusively in Reef waters on the east coast between Cape York and Cape Melville. The fishery predominantly supplies a live export market. The season is closed from 1 October to 31 December in the regulated fishery area.¹²⁹⁷ The fishery consists of approximately 8 active licence holders and collection is by hand, to a depth of 25 metres. The ornate rock lobster is the key target species with other species only contributing marginally to the harvest.¹²⁹⁷ From 2019 to 2022, the total harvest remained relative stable between 54 and 76 per cent of the total allowable catch. However, international trade disruptions and trade tensions with China have affected export demand and sales over the past few years.¹²⁹⁸ In 2019, harvest decreased to near historical lows (Figure 5.10). The tropical rock lobster population in north Queensland is considered to be connected to the Torres Strait and Coral Sea populations. The status of this north-eastern Australian stock is classified as sustainable.¹²⁹⁷ A stock assessment has not been updated for Queensland ornate rock lobster since 2011. 

This fishing assessment considers the capture and extraction of sharks from the Region that occurs under the Queensland Shark Control Program. This program has been implemented under fisheries legislation since 1962 and aims to reduce risk of shark interactions with swimmers in Queensland waters at popular swimming locations. Currently no shark nets are deployed in the Marine Park and a total of 131 drumlines are allowed under a Marine Parks permission. 

The current program is enacted through the Queensland Shark Management Plan 2021–2025 and includes the operation and maintenance of shark nets and drumlines, research to understand the risk of shark bites, trials of alternative mitigation strategies, and educational programs. From July 2019 to June 2023, approximately 1415 sharks were caught within the Marine Park under the program with around 50 per cent of these being target species (tiger shark and bull shark).¹²⁹⁹ Most target species were found deceased or euthanised. Thirty-one per cent of all non-target captures were released alive. In total, 708 non-target sharks and 49 other non-target animals were caught, including fish, rays and turtles, of which 31 per cent were released alive. By comparison, there were 1251 target sharks taken and 232 non-target sharks caught between 2014 and 2017, with 36 per cent of non‑target sharks released alive. The first phase of the trials of alternative mitigation strategies is underway to compare interactions and survival of marine fauna caught with 11 catch alert drumlines and 11 modified traditional drumlines. 

Management | The offshore constitutional Settlement arrangements and the Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement 2015 identify that the Australian and Queensland governments have interrelated roles and responsibilities related to fishing.¹³⁰⁰ Subject to meeting the overarching objective of the Marine Park Act, namely long-term protection and conservation, the Offshore Constitutional Settlement provides for the Queensland Government to have lead responsibility for fisheries management within the Region.

Management of fisheries (for the purposes of commercial and recreational take) occurs under the Fisheries Act 1994 (Qld) and supporting regulations. Management of fishing activities and impacts on the species and habitats of the Reef occurs through the Marine Park Act and the EPBC Act. The zoning plans, which apply to all fishing activities in the Marine Park, specify areas that can be fished and the type of fishing that can be undertaken. Provisions related to fishing also apply under Plans of Management. Operationally, the Australian and Queensland governments work cooperatively through the Reef Joint Field Management Program to conduct fisheries-related surveillance and other compliance and enforcement activities.

Recreational fishers in Queensland do not require a fishing licence. Recreational fish size, take, possession and gear limits apply, and the sale of any fish caught recreationally is prohibited.¹³⁰¹ Seasonal closures also apply for some species. Guidance on release techniques for line-caught fish is available.¹³⁰² There remain limited data to allow a comprehensive assessment of recreational fishing take and associated impacts.

For commercial fishing activities, management arrangements include licences for all operators, total allowable commercial catches for some species, fish size and possession limits, restrictions on fishing apparatus, closed areas and seasonal closures. In addition to the controls on recreational and commercial fishing under the under the Fisheries Act 1994 (Qld), commercial harvest fisheries and all developmental fisheries also require Marine Parks permissions under the zoning plans.

For commercial fisheries that export produce overseas, management arrangements must be accredited as a wildlife trade operation under the under the EPBC Act. The accreditation process includes assessment against guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries.¹³⁰³ Since 2019, all species of hammerhead sharks, guitarfishand requiem sharks have been listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This means they are identified as at risk of being threatened with extinction if trade is not closely controlled and require a wildlife trade operation accreditation. Sea cucumbers, including white teatfish, black teatfish, prickly redfish and amberfish, have also been listed in Appendix II since 2019. 

Fisheries have been subject to reforms through the Queensland Government’s Sustainable Fisheries Strategy (Box 5.2).¹²⁵¹ The strategy sets out a reform agenda across 10 major areas, including improved monitoring and research, setting sustainable catch limits, improved stakeholder engagement, environmental risk assessments, resource allocation, harvest strategies, fishing rules and access, responsive decision‑making, compliance and resourcing. All major fisheries are now managed under harvest strategies, which specify overall fishery objectives, fishery performance indicators, pre‑determined triggers for management action and appropriate management decision rules (Box 5.2).

Under the strategy, new Queensland Government regulations commenced in 2019 with the aim of protecting the long-term sustainability of fisheries; rebuilding depleted snapper, pearl perch and scallop stocks; combatting black-marketing of priority species; and standardising fishing rules and supporting compliance.^{1304,1305,1306} Further regulatory changes primarily affecting commercial operations took effect in 2020.¹³⁰⁷ The changes standardised reporting requirements for all commercial fisheries ¹³⁰⁸ and modified the quota allocations for the crab ¹³⁰⁹ and east coast inshore ¹³¹⁰ fisheries, and the effort unit allocation for trawl fisheries.¹³¹¹ Additional changes in 2022 included modified effort cap and closure arrangements for the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery,¹³¹² as well as closure arrangements, limits for recreational and charter take, and total allowable commercial catch of Spanish mackerel.¹³¹³ The latter coincided with the publishing of a new harvest strategy for the east coast Spanish Mackerel Fishery that aims to rebuild the stock following the 2021 stock assessment.^1256,1258

In June 2023, Australian and Queensland governments announced several reforms to address risks to the Reef from fishing and transition the industry to more sustainable fishing practices. The reforms include a reduction in the number of gillnet licences in the Marine Park before 31 December 2023 (approximately 240 down to 40 licences), phasing out the use of gillnets by June 2027, making hammerhead sharks no-take species for commercial fishers in all Queensland waters, and introducing legislation to mandate independent data validation on commercial fishing vessels. The Fisheries and Other Legislation (Structural Reform) Amendment Regulation 2023 has been implemented to enact these commercial fishing regulation changes. A Fisheries Structural Adjustment Scheme has been implemented to support eligible industry members affected by these changes.

The Reef 2050 Traditional Owner Implementation Plan (Box 10.2) published in 2023 includes actions that relate to implementation of the fishing reforms. The actions aim to ensure First Nations peoples’ rights, interests and obligations in the conservation, customary use and management of fisheries resources are appropriately considered and cultural risk assessments and Indigenous sector allocations are included in harvest strategies.¹¹²⁰

Concerns remain regarding some aspects of current fisheries management, particularly in relation to depleted stocks and information gaps. For some key target species, such as mangrove jack, no stock assessment has been undertaken or planned, and the stock status is undefined. Independent validation of fishers’ logbook reporting is limited following cessation of the independent fishery observer program (for all fisheries) in 2012. However, there have been recent commitments to improve independent data validation in fisheries (Box 5.3).^1314,1315 Reporting of interactions with species of conservation concern is limited, as is monitoring of fishery discards.