The federal and Queensland governments have unveiled a $160 million plan to gradually eliminate commercial gillnet fishing in the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area by mid-2027. This initiative aims to enhance the protection of endangered marine species by introducing new net-free zones.
Tanya Plibersek, the environment minister, announced the comprehensive plan on Monday, emphasizing its potential to substantially reduce high-risk fishing practices that harm threatened species such as dugongs, turtles, dolphins, and protected shark species.
As part of the plan, funding will be allocated to buy out gillnet licenses, with the majority of gillnets to be removed by the end of the year and a complete ban in place by mid-2027. The funds will also support the creation of new net-free zones in the northern third of the Great Barrier Reef and parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Additionally, the plan includes the acceleration of a sustainable fisheries strategy implementation and the mandate for independent data validation on commercial fishing vessels.
Plibersek highlighted the immediate threat posed by unsustainable fishing practices to the health of the reef, causing damage and fatalities to threatened marine life. The move aligns with recommendations from a UN-backed mission to the reef, which proposed the phase-out of gillnets and an accelerated rollout of sustainable fisheries strategies.
The announcement follows years of campaigning by conservation groups for an end to gillnet fishing on the reef. Gillnets, often over a kilometer in length, are known for catching fish like barramundi and mackerel but also pose a threat to endangered species by entangling and causing harm.
WWF-Australia, which advocated for seven years to end commercial gillnet fishing, called it a “globally significant moment for ocean conservation, fisheries management, and the Great Barrier Reef.” The Australian Marine Conservation Society also praised the decision to declare hammerhead sharks a “no-take” species, emphasizing the positive impact on threatened species recovery.
This move is seen as a crucial step towards the goal of having a net-free reef by June 2027, allowing threatened species to thrive without the risk of entanglement and drowning in gillnets.