Commonwealth approvals for Queensland fisheries

All fisheries that export product, or interact with protected species in Commonwealth waters are assessed and accredited under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act), by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

This accreditation demonstrates Queensland's fisheries operate under the national Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries.

View Queensland's fishery assessments and export approval expiry dates.

Wildlife Trade Operation approvals

Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) approvals:

• allow certain Queensland fisheries to export seafood to international markets
• are used in Australia to market sustainably sourced seafood
• protect commercial fishers against prosecution for unintentional interactions with protected species.

Interactions with protected species

Under the Act, commercial fishers must report all interactions with protected species.

Reporting these interactions is necessary to maintain our WTO approvals.

Reports

Surveys and reviews are sometimes required to meet federal government sustainability conditions:

• 2026: Sea cucumber conversion ratios
• 2024: Characterising species composition of Acropora corals harvested by the Queensland coral fishery
• 2022: Queensland marine aquarium fish fishery data improvement plan
• 2022: A review of size limits for the Queensland sea cucumber fishery (east coast)
• 2021: Queensland Gulf of Carpentaria developmental fin fish trawl fishery