Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace
Tuesday, March 08, 2011

No fees for Queensland recreational fishers catching snapper, says Wallace

Fisheries Minister Craig Wallace today announced that the State Government would not go ahead with a discussion-paper proposal to charge recreational fishers a fee for catching snapper.

Mr Wallace said recreational fishers had expressed strong concerns about the proposal and it would not proceed.

He said the excessive focus on this one issue was preventing wider discussion about managing Queensland’s snapper fishery effectively.

“The government has heard what the recreational fishing community is saying,” he said.

“We will still continue our consultation about the best way to protect the snapper fishery in Queensland but without a proposal to charge a fee for a recreational fishing permit.

”This option is off the drawing board and there is no other preferred option – we want to hear the views of the fishing community.

“Like many in our community the government wants a plan for the sustainable management of snapper but it must be acceptable to the fishing community.”

The snapper fee proposal is contained in the Regulatory Impact Statement for the Rocky Reef Fin Fish Fishery, which is currently the subject of public consultation.

“The end result of our consultation may be a combination of the remaining proposals in the Regulatory Impact Statement or it may be none of those proposals and something entirely different,” Mr Wallace said.

Minister Wallace said he had already met with Sunfish on snapper issues.

“I will personally oversee all further public consultation with Sunfish and all other interested stakeholders on the Regulatory Impact Statement,” he said.

“As new Fisheries Minister, I will take a hands-on role in further consultation on we work out these vital issues.”

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