The Fish-LIGHT research program is balancing ecological sustainability with the livelihoods of working fishers, and the needs of consumers and the wider Queensland community.
Research leadership
Queensland is leading the research into low-impact fishing equipment in response to concerns about the impact of gillnets on threatened, endangered and protected (TEP) species.
Harvest of the target fish species is currently at sustainable levels. The removal of gillnets has the potential to reduce the supply of fresh, local seafood from northern Australia’s inshore fisheries through reduced fishing effort.
There is pressure on commercial gillnet fisheries Australia-wide. Recommendations from the Future Fishing Taskforce for protecting the Great Barrier Reef supported trials of alternative fishing gears.
Scientific evidence
Our scientists are leading Fish-LIGHT research trials of low-impact gear types, including fish traps, traps nets, tunnel nets and line fishing.
The trials will generate data that helps scientists to understand how the gear types interact with protected marine animals, non-target species (bycatch) and target species. Scientists will document the condition of released target, protected and bycatch species from each of the low-impact gear types.
If data from the gear trials indicates one or more of the low-impact gear types are feasible, the social and economic performance of the gear types will be investigated. This means evaluating the impact on regional economies, fisheries businesses in the seafood supply chain and people who enjoy the inshore areas of Queensland’s east coast.
By developing fishing gears through evidence-driven research, the Fish-LIGHT program will provide resource managers and other stakeholders with confidence in a future inshore fishery.
Research collaboration
The Fish-LIGHT research program is funded by the Queensland Government and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), on behalf of the Australian Government.
The program is a collaboration between researchers at:
- The Department of Primary Industries
- Evidn
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania
- FRDC
- Erada Advisory
- The University of Queensland
- Sunshine Coast University.
Federal government agencies, state governments, universities, conservationists, economists, post-harvest researchers, seafood marketing experts, and commercial and recreational fishers all provided valuable input into the selection of low-impact gear types being trialled by the Fish-LIGHT research program.
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