| East Coast Trawl Fishery |
The Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery operates under the Queensland East Coast Trawl Plan, one of the most advanced fisheries management plans of it’s kind anywhere in the world. The plan imposes strict caps on the overall amount of fishing effort (measured in “effort units”) that can be applied to the fishery in any one year, as well as individual caps for each licence holder. Two thirds of the fishery is in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - the custodian of this World Heritage Area on behalf of the Commonwealth Government has formally accredited the fishery’s management plan as “ecologically sustainable” for the purposes of the Great Barrier Reef Far Northern Section Zoning Plan. This is the first fishery management plan in Australia to receive such a high level of recognition from the Commonwealth Government. Queensland trawl fishers work closely with fisheries scientists to ensure their catches are sustainable. They are in the forefront of efforts to minimise impacts on the environment, and observe limits to the amount of catch, and the timing and location of fishing operations. World’s best practice bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) and turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are mandatory throughout the entire fishery. The amount of their catch is now monitored by leading-edge technology: a satellite based Vessel Monitoring System that not only tracks vessels’ positions and provides on-board communication and management information but can also allow the amount of catch to be monitored in real time. All vessels in the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery (except some operating exclusively in Moreton Bay) are fitted with this latest technology. A major concern of fishers is the impact of urban, industrial and agricultural development on fisheries ecosystems. For many years, fishers have been contributing to scientific research that seeks to better understand these environments. They have also been campaigning for better protection of vital fish nurseries, habitats and environmental flows. Queensland trawl fishers take very seriously their duty to be responsible towards the environment. They are proud to share with other Australians the custodianship of some of our most spectacular and valuable natural resources.
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Trawling for prawns, scallops, Moreton Bay bugs and a range of other important seafood species is the most significant commercial fishing activity in Queensland. Queensland has important prawn fisheries in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Torres Strait and along the length of the Queensland east coast. Scallops are harvested between Townsville (in North Queensland) and Mooloolaba (Southern Queensland). 
