Communique 7-8 December 2023
Role of the panel: The Sustainable Fisheries Scientific Expert Panel (the Panel) was established to provide independent expert advice to the Minister responsible for fisheries and Fisheries Queensland on best practice fisheries management and implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027 (the Strategy). Its advice does not represent Queensland Government policy.
Meeting 20 of the Panel was held in-person on 7 and 8 December 2023 in Brisbane/Meanjin.
The Chair opened the meeting with an Acknowledgement of Country, and warmly welcomed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders attendees. The Chair also welcomed the newly appointed Panel members: Prof. Sean Tracey, Assoc Prof. Alana Grech, Prof. Bronwyn Fredericks, and Dr Beth Fulton. All members updated their lists of conflicts of interest prior to the discussing meeting business.
New members outlined their professional backgrounds and aspirations for the SFS as Panel members. The Panel noted that letters of thanks to Mr Ian Cartwright and Dr Cathy Dichmont were sent from Fisheries Queensland and the Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, The Hon. Mark Furner recognising their great contribution as original Panel members.
The Chair acknowledged the seeming hiatus in Panel activities due to the urgent work required from the Department to support the Future Fishing Taskforce, noting that Panel members had remained engaged by attending sector-led workshops on codes best practice for several fisheries and continuing to engage with First Nations, recreational and commercial fishers out of session.
The main business of Meeting 20 involved providing advice on (or noting) trawl effort unit allocation methodology, management of hand harvest fisheries, progress in climate change adaption and mitigation, and further enhancing engagement with First Nations peoples. Panel members also received updates on Independent Data Validation, King Threadfin Stock assessment, the Cape York Special Fisheries Working Group, the recreational fishing app, Wildlife Trade Operations export approvals, structural adjustment reforms and the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery consultation and draft net-free zones.
Dr Chris Sarra, Director-General of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries attended a session to welcome new Panel members and address the broader Panel on his background, role and expectations. A/Deputy Director-General Dr Ian Mackie attended part of this session to greet the Panel and listen to their perspectives on fisheries reforms.
The Panel noted that advice on Gulf of Carpentaria matters would require further and detailed discussion after the consultation period closed and agreed to meet to discuss this important matter early in the New Year.
Minister Furner attended a session to welcome new members and to address the broader Panel regarding current general Fisheries and Sustainable Fisheries Strategy reforms. He expressed his thanks to the Panel for their guidance on complex fisheries management issues during the implementation of the Strategy.
Fisheries Queensland provided an update on forward planning funding, including funding for the next four years of the Strategy and an upcoming fee review. The Panel discussed the options for Fisheries Queensland to ensure sufficient revenue streams for the remainder of the Strategy and beyond, noting that limited life funding provided as part of the Strategy was separate from business-as-usual core funding. It was also noted that several key reforms have now transitioned to operational service delivery.
Fisheries Queensland requested advice from the Panel regarding Hand Harvest Fishery concerns for beachworms, marine yabbies, and bloodworms, especially to promote their sustainability and ecological harm reduction. The Panel discussed potential management options and recommended that managers work with fishers to determine the spatio- temporal scale of impacts and compliance obligations regarding damage to vegetation. They also noted the need for further research and evaluation in this area, particularly liaison with the Department of Environment and Science and the inclusion of pippies/eugarie in this work as these shellfish are particularly vulnerable to mortality from 4WD traffic and over-harvesting. Moreover, Panel members noted that while marine yabbies are particularly resilient to harvesting, beach worm populations are possibly depleted in some areas as reported by commercial fishers.
Advice was also sought on the conversion of stock assessment data to regional effort units for the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery. Fisheries Queensland outlined the proposed methodology, noting the complexities of making these calculations. The Panel were broadly supportive of the approach outlined by Fisheries Queensland, noting that experimenting with alterations to the calculation methodology and alternative modelling to check for significant discrepancies in results would increase confidence in the proposed methodology, and that climate change and threatened and endangered species interactions should be considered in future modelling.
The Panel noted and discussed Fisheries Queensland’s intended next steps and future directions in recreational fisheries monitoring and the incorporation of climate change considerations in fisheries management initiatives. Panel members recommended businesses with potential capacity to deliver Fisheries Queensland’s Climate Change Adaption, Mitigation and Opportunities Strategy, and examples of best practice climate adaption plans for fisheries in terms of stakeholder engagement.
Attendees discussed approaches to increase voluntary reporting via the recreational fishing app, as well as mechanisms to strengthen stewardship amongst recreational fishers.
Finally, the Panel discussed the updates provided on efforts to develop First Nations fishing through Indigenous Fishing Permits and aquaculture development. They discussed a research aquaculture project with First Nations commercial and community members underway in Cape Tribulation and Moreton Bay and noted that three IFPs had been issued since the last Panel meeting, with the Panel being supportive of what had been accomplished in the development of First Nations fishing. The Panel welcomed news of burgeoning activity in the issue of Indigenous fishing permits and Indigenous aquaculture developments and looked forward to further positive news on this front.
In concluding, Panel members reaffirmed that they wish to continue to attend working groups in an observer capacity where possible and look forward to invitations to attend those as well as initiatives regarding best practice and stewardship from commercial and recreational fishers. The Panel also found particularly valuable at the May meeting, reports from and discussions with leaders in from Indigenous, recreational, and commercial sectors. Ideally this will become a regular feature of Panel meetings as the outcomes of the Strategy become increasingly visible.
The next meeting is scheduled to be held in February 2024, with a primary focus on the outcomes of the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery consultation process.
The members of the Sustainable Fisheries Expert Panel are: Associate Professor Ian Tibbetts (Chair), Associate Professor Daryl McPhee, Professor Natalie Stoeckl, Dr Sean Pascoe, Dr Beth Fulton, Professor Bronwyn Fredericks, Associate Professor Alana Grech, Professor Sean Tracey.