COMMERCIAL fishing operators will be tracked from later this year as part of state fisheries’ reforms designed to boost stock sustainability.
Line, net and crab boats will be targeted first, with fisherman expected to install a $200 satellite device and pay up to $40 per month for surveillance.
The near real-time data will help authorities validate operators’ logbooks for compliance and stock management.
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While trawlers have been tracked for the past two decades, it is the first time smaller commercial operators will be watched.
Licensed charter operators and repeat recreational offenders will also be monitored within the next two years.
Authorities insist individual data will not be leaked but some fishermen have complained that information could be used against them at a later date.
This might occur when marine park boundaries are being reviewed, with prime fishing grounds converted to green no-go zones for commercial fishers.
A Fisheries Queensland spokesperson said individual data would be private and shared only with marine park management.
However, aggregated data would be reported publicly for better fish stock management.
“Individual vessel tracking data would not be provided to NGOs, disclosed to any third party aiding in anti-competitive practices or made public,” the spokesperson said.
“Fish stocks are community owned resources ... fishers are required to provide information about the fishing activity to ensure our fisheries remains sustainable.”
Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association spokesman Michael Wood said the surveillance would ensure operators accused of misconduct by authorities could prove their innocence.
However, he said the tracking fees proposed by the state government were too high.
“It could cost up to $40 a month, which the industry can’t afford,” he said.
The spokesperson said the Fisheries Department hoped to simplify any rules imposed on commercial operators.
“The opportunity to comment on the draft policy and guidelines closed on February 23 and more than 100 responses were received,” the spokesperson said.
“The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is currently considering the feedback and looking for opportunities to make the rules as simple and flexible as possible.”
