Net-free fishing zones
Net-free zones are closed to all commercial mesh and seine netting in:
- Trinity Bay (Cairns)
- St Helens Beach – Cape Hillsborough (north of Mackay)
- Capricorn coast (Yeppoon, Keppel Bay, Fitzroy River and Rockhampton).
Activities prohibited
Commercial fishers cannot:
- use commercial nets (including to collect bait for personal use) in the net-free zones
- operate under any of these fishing symbols
- N10: Net fishery (east coast—no. 4)
- N11: Net fishery (no. 11)
- 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).
Permitted activities
In areas permitted under legislation:
- commercial fishers can go crabbing, line fishing, hand-harvesting and trawling in net-free zones
- recreational fishers can use cast, seine and scoop nets in net-free zones (nets must be lawful and comply with length and mesh size restrictions).