Communique 13 March 2024
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 21 of the Panel was held online on 13 March 2024.
The Chair opened the meeting with an Acknowledgement of Country, and warmly welcomed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders attendees. The Chair also welcomed Prof. Bronwyn Fredericks for her first meeting since appointment and reminded all members to update their lists of conflicts of interest prior to discussing meeting business.
Fisheries Queensland provided an update on current work being done by the department, including progress of the structural adjustment, gill net fishery phase out, roll out of NX fishery, the crab and recreational fishery discussion paper, working group membership, Wildlife Trade Organisation (WTO) export approvals for a range of fisheries, and appointment of the new Deputy Director General for fisheries and forestry with recruitment for the Director General yet to be finalised.
The main issue for consideration related to the government decision to introduce additional gill net free zones in the Gulf of Carpentaria, and also note progress on the king threadfin stock assessment.
The Expert Panel was briefed by Fisheries Queensland on the current modelling, assumptions and data regarding the king threadfin stock assessment. Members provided advice around effective communication of results by Fisheries Queensland to external stakeholders. The Panel noted that the king threadfin stock assessment process had included collaboration with external reviewers, which had delivered constructive suggestions that are being considered by the FQ project team. The Panel encouraged Fisheries Queensland to continue working with independent reviewers to ensure the robustness of the stock assessment and to incorporate a range of drivers and scenarios. Further, and consistent with the approach taken in response to previous stock assessments, the Panel noted that a risk-based and precautionary management response should be considered in the face of high variability in stock assessment results.
Fisheries Queensland provided an update on the Gulf of Carpentaria reforms, including the implementation date of 17 May 2024 and consultation outcomes. The outcomes from the recent Traditional Owner engagement and the Gulf working group (12/3/2024) meeting were presented to the Panel. The Panel noted the working group’s discussion noting proposed adjustments to closures but agreed that further consultation with Traditional Owners was necessary, and that any changes to proposals needed to consider risks to threatened endangered and protected species, and the provision of adequate funding to support financial compensation and adjustment to affected licence holders.
The Panel further noted that it was critical to scale up compliance capabilities to enforce the proposed gillnet free areas in the Gulf. Members raised the possibility of utilising Indigenous ranger programs to assist with enforcement in remote locations. The Panel also raised the importance of and opportunity to empower Indigenous communities to be economically independent and reasoned that gillnet free areas around Indigenous communities could assist with this, particularly if traditional owners are appropriately and meaningfully engaged with the design and implementation of systems for managing those areas (including monitoring and enforcement). It was noted that such direct community involvement acts to address the governance gap felt in this and many other regions.
Panel members expressed concern that whilst the areas to be closed would provide protection for TEPS from gillnets, there was some additional impacts on TEPS in the Commonwealth’s Northern Prawn Fishery. Panel members also noted that the area that will be protected by the northern closure could be heavily impacted by mining activities, and other waterway usage that encroach on the watersheds adjacent to closures.
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.
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