Commercial fisheries user guide
For the Commonwealth Marine Reserves of South-east Australia
Department of the Environment and Water Resources, July 2007
Please read the Commercial Fisheries User Guide: Approval and conditions of approval (below) prior to registering. Note that the following fishing methods: Demersal trawl, Danish seine, Scallop dredge and Gillnet below 183 metres are not allowed anywhere in the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network, however they are still required to register for approval to transit the reserves.
- Register your commercial fishery operation online or use the PDF files below.
Download
- Commercial fisheries user guide - Entire document (PDF - 2287 KB)
- Commercial fisheries user guide: Approval and conditions of approval (PDF - 38 KB)
- Commercial fisheries user guide: Registration form (PDF - 27 KB)
About the user guide
The South-east region of Australia's marine Exclusive Economic Zone covers an area of approximately two million square kilometres. The area is offshore Victoria, southern New South Wales, eastern South Australia and Tasmania, including the area around Macquarie Island.
Thirteen new Commonwealth Marine Reserves have been proclaimed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). The new reserves, together with the Macquarie Island Commonwealth Marine Reserve will form the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network (Reserve Network) and will be managed under the authority of the Director of National Parks (DNP) by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (the Department).
If you wish to continue to commercially fish in areas within the reserves where fishing is permitted, or transit through any reserves, you must be registered under an approval from the Director of National Parks.
Once you have applied, your registration will be processed by the Department, and you will receive a letter confirming your registration. You will then be an 'approval holder' and will be able to conduct commercial fishing (where commercial fishing is permitted) or transit within the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network, subject to the conditions of approval.
In this User Guide you will find a range of information in relation to the South-east reserves. It contains an introduction to the guide, relevant maps and information relating to approvals, network management, commercial fishing approval and conditions, registrations and zoning arrangements.
This User Guide, together with a copy of your confirmation of approval, should be kept on all approved fishing vessels for quick reference to information and details of your approval and conditions.
Enough User Guides will be provided by the Department to enable a copy to be placed on each vessel, with an additional copy provided for office use.
Please read the conditions of approval before lodging your application.
How to register
Send your registration form to:
South-east region manager
Marine Protected Areas Management
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
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