Compliance with commercial fishery rules and regulations in the Torres Strait is good with only four matters requiring investigation in the last three months, according to The Australian Fisheries Management (AFMA).
AFMA’s fisheries officers routinely conduct inspections of commercial fishing activity, including checking catch disposal records, verifying licences for fishing and fish receiving, vessel boarding and inspections and targeted aerial and on-the-ground surveillance.
Following the launch of the National Compliance and Enforcement Program 2019, the AFMA Torres Strait compliance team has inspected 23 boats, eight ports/freight hubs and 19 fish receiver premises in the region.
One incident referred for further inspection by both AFMA and the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol involved the seizure of two consignments of beche-de-mer, one of which was intercepted on its way out of the Torres Strait and the other at Cairns airport.
AFMA assumed responsibility for commercial fisheries compliance activities in the Torres Strait on 1 July 2018. As a result of the changeover from Fisheries Queensland, the move to streamline arrangements and have one agency undertaking the administration of fisheries management, licensing and compliance functions in the Torres Strait was completed.
