Gillnet buyback and surrender

Useable gillnets

A gillnet is useable if it:

• is a mesh net that has an attached floated head rope and bottom rope
• and
• is in a usable or repairable condition.

A gillnet is not useable if it:

• is not fitted with floated head rope and bottom rope for the purpose of using it as a gillnet
• or
• has a mesh size smaller than 50mm (east coast) or 160mm (Gulf of Carpentaria)
• or
• has a mesh size larger than 215mm
• or
• could not be reasonably considered repairable.

Apply for the gillnet buyback payment

You can apply through QRIDA for the payment to surrender useable gillnets if you:

• had a retired N1, N2 or N4 symbol on your primary commercial fishing licence
• or
• surrendered your licence or N3 symbol in the Gulf.

Applications close 30 January 2025.

If you are eligible to receive the payment:

1. QRIDA will issue conditional approval.
2. We will contact you to arrange collection of the nets.
3. Once collected, we assess the net as either usable or unusable.
4. If the net is assessed as useable, QRIDA will process your payment.

If the net is assessed as not useable, you can still surrender it but you will not receive the payment.

If you are not eligible to receive the payment, you can still surrender the net.

Register your interest to surrender gillnets

Register your interest by 30 January 2025 to surrender:

• unusable gillnets
• gillnets that are not eligible for the QRIDA payment.

Complete the registration form (PDF, 778KB) and submit by 30 January 2025.

We will contact you to confirm when and how your nets will be collected.

We will dispose of all surrendered gillnets for free. These will be recycled and repurposed to create other products.

Contact us

• Email Future.Fishing@daf.qld.gov.au
• Contact us online, by phone or in person