The Department of Fisheries has provided key points and some FAQ’s regarding the introduction of vessel tracking, its rationale and assistance provided to commercial fishers to help them transition to the next system.

VESSEL TRACKING (Key Points)

• The use of modern technologies like vessel tracking will help ensure the sustainability of Queensland’s fisheries. It will lead to more informed and responsive management, which will benefit the marine resources upon which many operators and regional communities are dependent.
• Fisheries Queensland has completed trials on a number of new vessel tracking units that are smaller, more portable and more affordable than the units first introduced in Queensland’s trawl fishery in the 1990s.
• Fisheries Queensland staff visited a number of regional centres in January and February 2018 and met with more than 280 commercial fishers to discuss the draft vessel tracking policy and guidelines.
• Fisheries Queensland finalised the policy and guidelines in June 2018 following feedback.
• Together with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Fisheries Queensland has pooled up to $3 million to assist industry with the implementation of vessel tracking.
• Rebates are available to assist industry in covering the purchase and installation costs of vessel tracking units. The rebate scheme is being administered by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA).
• The scheme commenced on 30 August 2018. All commercial fishing boat, harvest fishery and charter fishery licence holders will be able to apply for the rebate. All approved units purchased from 1 June 2018 will be eligible as long as they meet the rebate eligibility criteria.
• The rebate scheme has been designed so that the majority of fishers should not be out of pocket for the unit purchase or installation costs. Fishers may be eligible for reimbursement for up to seven units depending on their licence and fishery symbols.
• For example, reimbursements of up to $300 will be available for category ‘A’ units like Spot Trace and YB3i, while reimbursements of up to $750 will be available for category ‘B’ units like Skywave.
• Reimbursements of up to $220 will also be available to help with installation costs.
• The department remains on track to commence vessel tracking from 1 January 2019 in Queensland net, line and crab fisheries.
• The department respects the privacy of commercial fishers’ data and treats this information as confidential. Individual information collected is used for internal fisheries management purposes and is shared only with the compliance partners (marine parks) under strict conditions.
• As from 1 January 2019, all trawl licence holders will also be required to pay monthly data costs associated with vessel tracking. This requirement will bring the trawl fishery in line with other fisheries moving to vessel tracking. The department has been paying these costs since vessel tracking was introduced in 1999.
• To give confidence that data will be protected, Fisheries Queensland engaged Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) to audit the safeguards that are in place and recommend any necessary improvements. Recommendations from the audit are currently being implemented by Fisheries Queensland.
Vessel tracking has been in place in some Queensland fisheries (e.g. trawl) for more than 15 years. Vessel tracking is widely used in other Australian fisheries and internationally.
Has there been any consultation on the operating guidelines?
• Yes. A draft vessel tracking policy and operating guidelines, which describe the responsibilities and rules associated with the use of vessel tracking, were released for industry comment. Officers from Fisheries Queensland have met with over 280 fishers at 22 locations across the State to discuss the policy and guidelines.
• An approved list of vessel tracking units for net, line, crab and trawl boats is now available. All relevant units were trialled. A copy of the evaluation report is available online.
• The opportunity to comment on the draft policy and guidelines closed on 23 February 2018. Over 100 responses were received. The policy and guidelines have now been finalised.
• The Rural and Regional Adjustment Regulation 2011 has been amended to include the rebate scheme for vessel tracking. The rebate scheme is now available upon application from 30 August 2018 to 31 December 2020.

Where are we up to?

See below link – Year 1 progress report – for where we are up to in terms of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy overall,
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1400826/Sustainable-Fisheries-Strategy-progress-report.PDF

At a legislative level, the Fisheries Bill has been introduced, referred to and reported on by the State Development, Natural Resources and Agricultural Industry Development Committee. The Committee has made its report. The Government will respond to the recommendations report, in line with Parliamentary requirements, in the new year. We expect the Bill to be debated next year. Key provisions in the Bill include new penalties for black marketing of fish, new penalties for misuse of commercial fishers private fishers information, increased penalties for failure to comply with vessel tracking requirements and a wholesale remake of the Fisheries Bill to make it more contemporary – both as a piece of legislation and in terms of best practise fisheries management.

The Government introduced a regulation in November to require commercial fishers in the line, net and crab fisheries to report their movements. The Member for Hinchinbrook has lodged a disallowance motion. This has not yet been debated.

Vessel tracking for priority fisheries will commence on 1 January. The rebate scheme is being accessed by fishers. Fisheries Queensland appreciate that this is a significant reform for many commercial fishers and will adopt an approach that emphasises the need for education, as well as compliance.

For further information on the overall strategy, https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1254199/DAF-Sustainable-Fishing-Strategy.pdf