Rocky reef fishery

Fishery symbols

• L1: Line fishery (other than Great Barrier Reef region)
• L2: Line fishery (reef)
• L3: Line fishery (reef)
• L8: Line fishery (multiple hook – east coast)

Operating areas

• Area of the L1 line fishery
• Area of the L2 line fishery
• Area of the L3 line fishery
• Area of the L8 line fishery

Quota

Snapper and pearl perch are managed through a competitive total allowable commercial catch.

No catch limits are in place for other species.

All species are monitored for changes in harvest and catch rates.

Licences

To operate in the fishery, you need a:

• primary commercial fishing licence with
• L1: Line fishery (other than Great Barrier Reef region)
• L2: Line fishery (reef)
• L3: Line fishery (reef)
• L8: Line fishery (multiple hook – east coast)
• commercial fisher licence for the person in charge of fishing activities.

While fishing in the rocky reef fishery under a L1, L2, L3 or L8 symbol, a fisher with:

• a C1 or C2 symbol on that licence: may also take crab under those symbols if they hold sufficient crab quota
• a SM symbol on that licence: may also take Spanish mackerel under that symbol if they hold sufficient Spanish mackerel quota
• a RQ symbol on that licence: may also take reef line quota species if they hold sufficient quota of the relevant quota category.

Otherwise, you must not take fish in more than 1 commercial fishery at the same time.

Reporting and monitoring

Commercial fishers must:

• report trip and catch notices
• pre-trip notice
• amending notice
• transhipment notice
• prior notice
• weight notice
• catch disposal record
• retained fish notice
• emergency notice
• complete daily logbooks
• keep sale dockets
• have vessel tracking on their boats
• comply with state marine park and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park zoning rules.

Closures

• Annual snapper and pearl perch closed season from 15 July to 15 August.

Equipment

• Boat requirements and equipment restrictions apply depending on the fishing symbol you are operating under.
• Fishers cannot fish from land (must fish from a boat) except in those fisheries (hand-harvest) that area allow to fish from land, as per the Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019.

Target species

• Snapper (Pagrus auratus)
• Pearl perch (Glaucosoma scapulare)

Size limits and form requirements

• Size and form requirements apply, as per Schedule 2 of the Fisheries Declaration 2019.