Ocean beach net fishery
Structural adjustment payments
Applications are still open for supply chain business diversification grants, gillnet buyback and gillnet reel boat refit grants for eligible commercial licence holders, and businesses affected by the:
- phase-out of gillnets on the Great Barrier Reef
- Great Sandy Marine Park rezoning
- new Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free areas.
Fishery symbols
Cancelled symbols
N1, N2, N4 and S symbols are no longer valid from 1 January 2024.
- K1: Net fishery (ocean beach area 1)
- K2: Net fishery (ocean beach area 2)
- K3: Net fishery (ocean beach area 3)
- K4: Net fishery (ocean beach area 4)
- K5: Net fishery (ocean beach area 5)
- K6: Net fishery (ocean beach area 6)
- K7: Net fishery (ocean beach area 7)
- K8: Net fishery (ocean beach area 8)
Management
Operating areas
- Area of the K1 net fishery
- Area of the K2 net fishery
- Area of the K3 net fishery
- Area of the K4 net fishery
- Area of the K5 net fishery
- Area of the K6 net fishery
- Area of the K7 net fishery
- Area of the K8 net fishery
Quota or effort units
The fishery is managed through the east coast inshore fishery.
Licences
To operate in the fishery, you need a:
- primary commercial fishing licence with the relevant fishery symbol
- commercial fisher licence for the person in charge of fishing activities.
There is a requirement for at least 2, but no more than 4 assistant fishers.
Reporting and monitoring
Commercial fishers must:
- report trip and catch notices through the Automated Interactive Voice Response (AIVR)
- complete daily logbooks – paper only
- complete the catch disposal record – paper only
- keep sale dockets
- have vessel tracking on their boats
- comply with state marine park and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park zoning rules.
Read the reporting requirements for more detail.
Closures
- Fish may only be taken from 1 April to 31 August.
Equipment
Fish may be taken only by using seine nets that are:
- no longer than 500m
- mesh size of at least 12mm but no more than 70mm
- drop of at least 150 meshes for at least half of its length.