Blueprint for a Fisheries Management Plan for the Qld East Coast Inshore Fin-fishery

Vision:

The Queensland East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery will meet recreational fishers' expectations of being able to catch a variety, size and quantity of fish sufficient to provide food for the family whilst enjoying a healthy and desirable outdoor experience. The fishery will also support a small, viable commercial net fishery that operates remote from major population centres and largely supplies high quality volume product to local markets. 

Specific Goals:

1.       Management arrangements will ensure the recreational sector has access to the major share of the available inshore fish resource commensurate with a triple bottom line allocation model.

2.       A progressive removal of commercial netting implemented in all rivers, creeks, estuaries and bays on the east coast of Queensland south of Cape Flattery, to be completed by 2014.

3.       Output management arrangements (recreational & commercial) be developed and implemented under a zonal model that recognises following differing impacts on the fishery and its users:

·         geographic,

·         seasonal

·         species distribution

·         relevant market importance within the Queensland commercial fishery

·         importance of species to each sector and

·         social & community expectations

4.   Recreational limits implemented in order to ensure ongoing resource sustainability. Decisions will be based on a variety of criteria, including the principle of size at first maturity, social expectations, resource size and size profiles and fishing pressure.

5.       A significant restructure of the existing inshore commercial net fishery to create a small viable geographically and species based commercial net fishery that is based on species Total Allowable Catches (TAC's) and Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQ"s) that:

·         provides high quality fresh product predominantly for the higher end of the local Queensland market., and is

·         located so as to minimise interaction and conflict with recreational fishing.

6.   The boating and tackle industries of Queensland will continue to thrive and prosper as a result of participation levels remaining high in the recreational fishing sector.