Structural adjustment payments for commercial fishers

Eligible commercial licence holders, skippers and crew, and supply chain businesses can apply for payments if they are affected by the:

• phase-out of gillnets on the Great Barrier Reef
• Great Sandy Marine Park rezoning
• new Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free areas.

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) assesses applications and administers payments.

Stage 1 payments

Financial or legal advice

A $3,000 grant is available to help with the cost of independent financial or legal advice.

Quota and loss of income payments

Fishers can apply for quota or loss of income payments.

Stage 2 payments

Round 2 licence and symbol buyback

Fishers who didn't have the previous N1, N2 or N4 symbols on their primary commercial fishing licence can apply for a payment to:

• surrender their licence completely
• or
• surrender 1 or more of these symbols: C1, L1, L2, L3, N11, RQ, S, SM, T1, T2, T5, T6, T7, T8 or T9.

Gulf of Carpentaria licence and N3 symbol buyback

Fishers with an N3 symbol on their primary commercial fishing licence can apply for a payment to:

• surrender their licence completely
• or
• surrender their N3 symbol.

If you wish to surrender other symbols (e.g. N11), you can also apply under the Round 2 licence and symbol buyback.

Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free areas loss of income payments

Fishers can apply for loss of income payments if they have:

• an N3 or N11 symbol on their licence
• and
• relevant catch history in one or more of the new gillnet-free areas in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Great Sandy Marine Park marine aquarium fishery loss of income payments

Fishers an apply for loss of income payments if they have an A1 or A2 symbol on their licence (affected by the Great Sandy Marine Park rezoning and changed management arrangements).

Hammerhead shark loss of income payments

Fishers can apply for the loss of income payment if they:

• have hammerhead shark catch history on the east coast under relevant fishery symbols
• and
• are not eligible for any other loss of income payments.

Skipper and crew support payments

Skippers and crew can apply for support payments if they were employed to fish at sea for at least 20 days by licence holders affected by the:

• phase-out of gillnets in the Great Barrier Reef
• Great Sandy Marine Park rezoning
• new Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free areas.

Stage 3 payments