The Fish-LIGHT research program will trial, implement and evaluate the use of low-impact fishing gears and harvest technologies in Queensland’s east coast inshore fishery.
Rigorous research trials
Our Fish-LIGHT scientists are trialling low-impact fishing gears at inshore locations (estuaries, bays, rivers and foreshore areas) across northern Australia.
Fish-LIGHT scientists have set out to:
- design fishing gears which are able to capture species that have traditionally been harvested within Queensland inshore fisheries
- understand the ecological risk of candidate gear types and their interaction profile with protected species
- investigate the social and economic context for the use of candidate gear types within inshore waters.
The focal area of this research is between Gladstone and Cairns in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
However, the research team is also collaborating with a broad network of scientists to support a broader conversation about the suitability of fishing gear within inshore fisheries.
The gear trials consist of 2 phases.
Phase 1: Scoping and gear evaluation trials
The first phase will span the first 2 years of the program and will generate scientific data that enables Fish-LIGHT researchers to evaluate the low-impact gears for practicality and their environmental, economic and social performance.
The data collected will include:
- which species the gear targets best
- what other species are caught (bycatch)
- the condition of release of all target and bycatch species.
In Phase 1, Fish-LIGHT scientists will:
- research new and existing low-impact gears used successfully in fisheries around the world and assess their potential suitability for Queensland
- host open discussions with industry representatives, community members and other stakeholders to foster collaboration, trust and a shared understanding of the program
- develop fishing gear and conduct no-take trials before transitioning into targeted biological sample collection and market research to understand fishing gear performance
- develop an ecological risk profile of candidate gear types across north Queensland waters
- undertake baseline social science assessments to understand the importance of the inshore fishery to different community groups
- execute economic studies to determine the economic viability and market opportunities for the candidate gears
- identify the attitudinal, behavioural, and contextual factors that prevent or support cessation of gillnets and adoption of the alternative gears.
Phase 2: Real-world validation
In the second phase, Fish-LIGHT scientists will evaluate the performance of the most promising low-impact fishing gears identified in Phase 1 in real-world commercial applications.
The aim of this stage is to:
- understand how low-impact gears work at scale
- understand how they fit within existing supply chains
- determine if the gears meet industry needs and community expectations.
Fish-LIGHT scientists will:
- introduce the tested technologies into commercial fishing operations across Queensland’s inshore fisheries
- track their ecological sustainability, economic efficiency and social acceptance
- gather feedback about the technologies from fishers, community and industry representatives to ensure they are fit for purpose
- evaluate how the technologies impact profitability and viability of fishing operations, and their broader contributions to local communities and Queensland’s economy
- identify ways to enhance the value of wild-caught fish, helping fishers meet international best practice and boost market trust.
More information
Fish-LIGHT is led by the Department of Primary Industries, and co-funded by the:
- Queensland Government
- Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
Contact
Last updated: 03 Feb 2026