7.3.3 Fishing

Fishing, both recreationally and commercially, is the main extractive use that occurs in the Region and is jointly managed by Australian and Queensland governments. Viable commercial and recreational fishing depends on a healthy ecosystem. 

The main management tool for commercial and recreational fishing is the Fisheries Act 1994 (Qld) (Fisheries Act) and associated fisheries regulations. Commercial fisheries are regulated primarily through a combination of licences and associated quota allocations, management plans and strategies, as well as zoning and permits for harvest fishers (Box 7.2). The setting of quotas and rules on fishing activities is informed by a range of fishery and species-based assessments, including ecological risk assessments, stock assessments and harvest strategies. Additionally, for fisheries involved with overseas export of product, assessments are required under the EPBC Act. Controls for commercial fisheries are both: inputs based, aiming to control fishing effort, gear and location, together with reporting requirements; and output based, with many fisheries having individual transferrable quotas for species or prescribed commercial catch limits. Recreational fisheries are managed spatially through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003 (Zoning Plan) 1183 and regulated through output controls such as bag and size limits and restrictions on the types and number of fishing apparatus used. Commercial fisheries are differentiated based on their equipment and or target species. These controls are also informed through fishery or species-based assessments.

The Australian and Queensland governments have interrelated roles and responsibilities and managers across relevant agencies have a good understanding of values, impacts and threats to the Region related to fishing. The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries focuses on sustainable catch loads, the Reef Authority focuses on direct-use impacts to the Reef ecosystem, and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water focuses on protected species and the environmental performance of fisheries. Each agency’s focus reduces potential overlap between agencies and jurisdictions. However, it creates potential inconsistencies in the management of fishing activities where there are 3 different regulatory interests.

Significant reform is being implemented through the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy

Significant management reform for fishing is being implemented through the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 1251 (the Fisheries Strategy), which aims to significantly improve fisheries management. The focus is on improved assessment of fish stocks and ecological risks to inform adaptive management of quotas and rules, and a commitment to achieving 60 per cent biomass retention for each fishery by 2027. Stock assessments, harvest strategies and ecological risk assessments are now in place for most fisheries in Queensland (Box 5.2). Additionally, funding for management of fishing has increased and has supported assessments and compliance.

Through fishery working groups, the Fisheries Strategy has also provided renewed forums for stakeholder engagement. However, there are lags in the achievement of the outcomes, reflecting biological timeframes for recovery of fish stocks. The Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol and the Reef Joint Field Management Program carry out a comprehensive compliance program. This program has strengthened and increased in maturity in the direct management of fishing in the Region. Vessel tracking systems have been mandatory on commercial vessels since 2020 and have improved enforcement management. This reduces the risk of non-compliance associated with commercial fishing in no-take areas within the Marine Park. Recreational fishing in these protected zones continues to be a common offence in the Marine Park but is being addressed through enhanced compliance action by the Reef Joint Field Management Program.

Outcomes for fishing remain only partially effective in 2023

Despite the high levels of investment in fisheries, outcomes for fishing remain only partially effective. In part, this reflects the biological timeframes needed for recovery of fish stocks and consequential lag time for achievement of outcomes under the Fisheries Strategy. Additionally, in implementing the Fisheries Strategy, understanding of risks associated with fishing activities in the Region has increased including greater knowledge of the status of some fish stocks. For example, 2021 stock assessments identified the Spanish mackerel as severely depleted when previously it had been identified as sustainable (Section 5.4.1). The timeline of the Fisheries Strategy is 2017 to 2027, with overall achievement of its outcomes intended to continue over coming years.

Gaps remain in the understanding of potential impacts of climate change on the distribution of targeted fish species. There are also broader knowledge gaps related to day-to-day interactions of fisheries with bycatch and non-target species, some marine habitats and ecological processes, although this has improved with increased use of ecological risk assessments.

Box 7.2

Benefits of Partially Protected Zones in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

In 2004, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was rezoned to increase protection of values within the Region.1183 The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003 divided the Marine Park into areas ranging in their level of protection, from allowing ecologically sustainable use and extraction, to high levels of protection such as no-take zones where extractive activities are not allowed and no-entry zones where even visitation is not allowed. No-take and no-entry zones account for 33 per cent of the Marine Park and are generally free from extractive activities such as fishing.1183 The ecological benefits of no-take and no-entry zones have been extensively documented.1948,1972 They include higher biomass of fish species and enhanced resilience of coral reef communities to disturbances such as coral bleaching and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish inside no-take zones, compared to zones open to fishing.1973,1974

Conservation Park Zones account for 1.5 per cent of the total area of the Marine Park. These zones are considered Partially Protected Areas because limited extractive use such as limited line fishing and spearfishing are often allowed.1183 While Conservation Park Zones are a recognised marine resource management tool, comparatively little is known about their effectiveness compared to no-take Marine National Park Zones.1975 Recent studies have demonstrated that Partially Protected Areas can provide an added layer of protection for targeted coral reef fishes and support greater biomass of targeted fishes compared to less regulated Habitat Protection Zones.836,1975 Special Management Areas that overlay Conservation Park Zones and prohibit spearfishing can provide similar levels of protection as Marine National Park Zones, by protecting fishing stocks.1976 Therefore, Partially Protected Areas are a useful spatial management tool for the conservation of target fish species while also providing opportunities for reasonable use and enjoyment of the Marine Park.

Challenges remain regarding the need for improved understanding of impacts on and protection of species of conservation concern. The introduction of independent data validation on commercial vessels will help to address these challenges (Box 5.3). Under the Reef 2050 Plan,2 there is a suite of actions to trial, develop and implement robust systems of independent data validation in high-risk commercial fisheries. These actions include independent verification of levels of interaction with species of conservation concern.  The actions are in the early stages of implementation, including trialling of technology, with full implementation expected before 2029. Furthermore, the protection of these and other non-target species will also be supported through the implementation of actions associated with the Reef gillnet fishing phase out occurring from 2023 to 2027.

  • 2. Australian Government and Queensland Government 2023, Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan 2021-2025, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra.
  • 836. Hall, A.E., Sievers, K.T., Kingsford, M.J. 2023, Conservation benefits of no-take marine reserves outweigh modest benefits of partially protected areas for targeted coral reef fishes, Coral Reefs 42(2): 319-333.
  • 1183. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2004, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville.
  • 1251. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 2017, Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027, State of Queensland, Brisbane.
  • 1948. Fraser, K.A., Adams, V.M., Pressey, R.L. and Pandolfi, J.M. 2019, Impact evaluation and conservation outcomes in marine protected areas: a case study of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Biological Conservation 238: 108185.
  • 1972. Day, J.C., Kenchington, R.A., Tanzer, J.M., Cameron, D.S. 2018, Marine zoning revisited: How decades of zoning the Great Barrier Reef has evolved as an effective spatial planning approach for marine ecosystem‐based management, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29: 9-32.
  • 1973. Russ, G.R., Cheal, A.J., Dolman, A.M., Emslie, M.J., Evans, R.D., et al. 2008, Rapid increase in fish numbers follows creation of world's largest marine reserve network, Current Biology 18(12): R514-R515.
  • 1974. Mellin, C., Aaron MacNeil, M., Cheal, A.J., Emslie, M.J. and Julian Caley, M. 2016, Marine protected areas increase resilience among coral reef communities, Ecology Letters 19(6): 629-637.
  • 1975. Hall, A.E., Cameron, D.S. and Kingsford, M.J. 2021, Partially protected areas as a management tool on inshore reefs, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 31(3): 631-651.
  • 1976. Hall, A.E., Cameron, D.S. and Kingsford, M.J. 2022, Prohibiting spearfishing boosts conservation outcomes for partially protected areas, Biological Conservation 272: 109662.