Queensland''s largest commercial fishery - the trawl sector – has become the first to finalise a development plan in conjunction with the Queensland government to boost industry profitability.
Minister for primary industries, fisheries and rural and regional Queensland Tim Mulherin said the East Coast Trawl Fishery plan outlines issues impacting on the fishery and initiatives for addressing these challenges.
"The issues addressed in the plan include workforce and labour supply, value chain improvements and ways of maximising business value and profitability," Mulherin said.
"The plan also covers options for innovative fishing, energy efficient trawling and marketing and promotion.
"This partnership is a first for Queensland and I am excited to work with the commercial fishing industry on delivering the plan over the coming years."
Mulherin said the trawl sector was worth more than NZD 70 million (€37.4 million/$52.3 million) to the Queensland economy and was one of the most well recognised commercial fishing industries in the state.
"Some of our most iconic seafood species are harvested in the trawl industry," Mulherin said.
"Products such as Mooloolaba prawns, Moreton Bay bugs or Hervey Bay scallops have excellent reputations as high quality seafood.
"We want to ensure that the Queensland industry continues to have access to this kind of fresh, quality seafood and the development plan is a step in the right direction."
Mulherin said the commercial fishing industry including the trawl sector faced significant hardships in 2008 due to record high fuel costs, labour shortages, competition from imported seafood and a strong Australian dollar.
"As a result of those hardships, the Government committed to working with the Queensland Seafood Industry Association, the Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association and the Queensland Seafood Marketers Association to implement initiatives to support the commercial fishing sector," Mulherin said.
"One of those initiatives was to form a new Commercial Fisheries Development Unit to work in partnership with industry to improve the profitability, viability and functionality of Queensland's commercial fisheries.
"The first outcome of that partnership was to develop this plan.
"I am looking forward to following the implementation of the plan over the next few years and seeing first-hand the positive outcomes for the industry and our regional centres.
To view a copy of the trawl development plan visit www.deedi.qld.gov.au and click on 'fisheries'.
