Queensland’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is reminding fishermen to follow reporting procedures after a fisherman and seafood company director was recently fined $12,500 for fishing offences.
Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) Bowen district officer Glen Harsley said the fisher had failed to follow the necessary reporting requirements for monitoring fisheries resources.
"QBFP conducted routine inspections at the fisher's seafood business and found commercial fishing reporting processes had not been followed or completed," Mr Harsley said.
"He had no prior reports, did not complete an unload notice or catch disposal records, and did not return his logbooks.”
Mr Harsley said that the fisherman also admitted to unlawfully taking Spanish mackerel and painted sweetlip (slatey bream) in commercial fishing nets whilst targeting grey mackerel, and entered false and misleading information into a catch logbook.
Mr Harsley highlighted the importance of commercial fishers knowing the rules and reporting correctly.
"All commercial fishers operating in Queensland's state-managed fisheries are required to complete daily catch and effort logbooks," he said. "They are also required to complete a prior notice, unload notice, and catch disposal record.”
"These commercial fishing reporting requirements allow Fisheries Queensland to monitor the condition of Queensland's fisheries resources. This information is valuable in developing fisheries management plans and is essential in determining total allowable catch limit quotas for the future."
Mr Harsley said there were a number of reporting controls in place for the commercial take of fish in Queensland, for example, Spanish mackerel and coral reef fish, like painted sweetlip, can only be taken by commercial line fisherman holding an SM (Spanish mackerel) endorsement or an RQ (Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery) endorsement for reef fish.
