New members have been appointed to 11 of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Fishery Working Groups dealing with the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said there was strong interest in joining the groups, which were integral to delivering world-class fisheries management in Queensland.
“The Fishery Working Groups are renewed every two years and this is an exciting opportunity to be part of sustainable fisheries management,” Mr Furner said.
“These groups provide important operational advice on the management of specific fisheries and are an important communication and consultative forum between fishing stakeholders, Fisheries Queensland and the Government.”
He said a Fisheries Queensland selection panel considered more than 120 nominations to join eight existing and three new Fishery Working Groups.
“The panel appointed 96 members who represent a range of stakeholders, including commercial and recreational fishers, charter operators, seafood marketers and processors, scientists and conservationists,” Mr Furner said.
He said two new Fishery Working Groups would review Gulf of Carpentaria inshore and East Coast Spanish mackerel fisheries, while eight other groups were being reformed to continue to provide operational advice under new harvest strategies.
“A new Vessel Tracking Working Group has also been established as part of a Fisheries Queensland review,” Mr Furner said.
“Some of the groups held their first meetings in April or early May, while the rest will meet soon.”
Further information on the Fishery Working Groups and their members can be accessed at this PS News link.
