A package between Commonwealth and Queensland Government has been announced to support commercial fishers, ahead of further fishing industry sanctions.
Worth $186 million, the package includes compensation measures such as buy backs, reskilling and financial advice, in an effort to ease the impact of the phasing out of gillnet fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Area by 2027.
A total of $125 million has been committed to phasing out gillnets, rezoning the Great Sandy Marine Park and increasing protection from gillnet impacts in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
This portion also includes around $90 million to financially support eligible fishers and related business in the transition, $1.5 million to reskill, $2.25 million to support employees, $15 million to construct a new strategy, $4.5 million to develop and trial sustainable alternatives, $2.95 million for the creation and sustaining suitable regional jobs, and $1.5 million to ensure hammerhead sharks are a no-take species for commercial fishers.
The remaining $60 million has been committed to discover more independent data validation and further reduce bycatch in high-risk fisheries.
The transition period begins December 31, 2023, to adopt these new agreements.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said that “these are landmark investments that demonstrate the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to a sustainable fishing industry supporting good jobs well into the future.”
“This package gives the certainty that our commercial fishing industry needs to plan and be able to ensure the ongoing supply of Queensland seafood that has built a global reputation,” Mr Furner said.
However, local fisherman Trevor Draper is frustrated.
“We got this text about some paperwork, and it said we would receive it shortly, whatever that means.”
For Trevor, he says he is “beyond reskilling”.
“The entire thing won’t help at all. We do this work because we like it, and it makes ends meet. We’re not in it for the money. And it will be very difficult, to get some fisherman to do something else, something they don’t like doing.
“And how will money handling and financial advice help, when we don’t have jobs?”
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