Tunnel nets are designed to work with the natural movement of the tide. They were originally developed in the mid-twentieth century in Moreton Bay and Hervey Bay, Queensland.
Key details
- Features: lightweight, temporary – leaves no lasting trace, guides fish
- Benefits: low impact on protected and non-target marine species
- Locations: sheltered coastal flats with suitable substrate and beach profile
- Species: trevally, queenfish, barramundi, javelin fish
- Existing commercial fisheries: Southeast Queensland
Design
The diagram illustrates the structure and components of a tunnel net system designed for fishing.
The front of the trap net has a metal grid with bar spacings that allow fish to enter the trap while excluding larger animals.
The wings or barrier nets extend up to a maximum length of 800 metres, depending on the site. These wings guide fish towards the trap. The mesh used in the wings is thick and highly visible to prevent entanglement.
The front of the tunnel net includes traps designed to prevent fish from escaping once they are guided into the system.
Floats are used to keep the nets buoyant, and wooden stakes provide structural support. The tunnel net functions across different water levels – high tide, mid tide, and low tide. The tunnel and traps must never go dry to ensure the captured fish remain alive.
Minimal bycatch
With tunnel nets, fish are gently guided into - not entangled in - a temporary holding pen where they can be selectively harvested.
Thanks to fisher-developed innovations like turtle exclusion grids, which keep large animals out of the tunnel area, tunnel nets pose minimal risk of harm to protected species.
The subtidal setting of the gear enables bycatch to be released quickly and alive. Fish are scooped from the holding pen and sorted immediately on a tray, with most spending less than 20 seconds out of the water (PDF, 2.4MB).
Tunnel netting is a clean and environmentally responsible fishing method.
No trace fishing
Tunnel nets offer a modern, adaptable model for responsible fishing. Tunnel nets are temporary and lightweight, and are removed after each use. They leave no lasting trace on the seabed or marine habitats.
Tunnel nets require specific conditions, including sheltered coastal flats with a suitable substrate and beach profile. Tunnel nets are operated with small crews of fishers which can be labour-intensive.
With proven success in southern Queensland and growing international interest in similar gear types, tunnel netting presents a forward-looking, practical solution for sustainable seafood production in the future.
North Queensland gear development
While tunnel nets have been used extensively in Southeast Queensland, the potential for their use in areas off Central and North Queensland remains limited.
Tunnel nets rely on a set of strict environmental features to support their successful deployment, including having gentle sloping sand flats and limited tide ranges. They are also traditionally focused on catching smaller species such as rabbit fish, whiting and mullet.
With waters of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) supporting a different environment and species composition to Southeast Queensland, the trials will work with commercial fishers to design and develop both the gear and its operation to understand whether it can be used successfully within waters of the GBR.
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: 12 Feb 2026