Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984
Fisheries Management Notice No. 71
TORRES STRAIT PRAWN FISHERY
RESTRICTIONS ON NET SIZE
The Protected Zone Joint Authority, acting in accordance with the powers conferred on the Authority by paragraph 35(1)(a) of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984, and the Minister in accordance with the powers under section 16 of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984, makes
the following notice.
Dated this 18th day of February 2004
IAN MACDONALD
Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation and member and Chair of the
Protected Zone Joint Authority
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CITATION
COMMENCEMENT
2. This Notice commences on Gazettal.
THIS notice TO APPLY WITH OTHER NOTICES
3. This Notice applies in conjunction with any other Notice in force in the area of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery.
REVOCATION OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT NOTICE NO. 59
4. Fisheries Management Notice No. 59, dated 21 February 2002, is revoked.
INTERPRETATION
5.1 In this Notice:
"prawns" means fish of the family Penaeidae spp;
"the Act" means the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984.
5.2 Terms used but not defined in this Notice have the same meaning as in the Act and the Torres Strait Fisheries Regulations.
PROHIBITION
6.1 Pursuant to paragraph 16(1)(f) of the Act, the use or possession of otter trawl
equipment in the area of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery is prohibited if:
(a) where only one net is used or in possession on board a boat or attached to a boat, the length of the net is longer than 88 metres; or
(b) where more than one net, including a try-net, is rigged for fishing, the total combined length of the nets is longer than 88 metres; and
(c) where more than one net is rigged for fishing, and a try-net is in possession
on board the boat but not rigged for fishing, the total combined length of the nets rigged for fishing and the largest try-net in possession on board the boat
is longer than 88 metres; and
(d) where a try net is rigged for fishing, in possession on board a boat, or is attached to a boat, the try net is of a length is longer than 10 metres; and
(e) where other nets, excluding try-nets, are in possession on board a boat and
are not rigged for fishing, the nets are of a size greater than 10% smaller
than the largest net in possession on board the boat.
6.2 A net is rigged for fishing if part or all of the net is in the water, or if it is shackled,
tied or otherwise connected to any trawl door or trawl board, or to any tow rope or cable, either on board the boat or attached in any manner to the boat.
6.3 Pursuant to paragraph 16(1)(c) of the Act, the use or possession of otter trawl
equipment in the area of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery is prohibited if:
(a) the size of the meshes in the cod end is less than 38 millimetres; or
(b) there are more than 150 meshes when measured in the vertical plane from the drawstring; or
(c) the size of the meshes in all other parts of the net other than the cod end does not exceed 45 millimetres; or
(d) there is more than 1 line of ground chain across the mouth of each net; or
(e) the diameter of the links of the ground chain exceed 10 millimetres; or
(f) the chain is used with a weight or an attachment, other than an attachment for joining the chain to the net.
MEASURING NETS AND MESHES
7.1 For the purposes of paragraph 6.1 the length of a net is determined by measuring the combined length, in metres, of the head rope and bottom rope when taut between the outermost points of the meshes that are attached to each rope respectively.
7.2 For the purposes of paragraph 6.3 the size of a mesh of a:
(a) knotless trawl net is determined by measuring the average distance when the net is taut, between the inner edges of 2 diagonally opposite corners of each of 10 meshes that are at least 30 centimetres from each other; or
(b) knotted trawl net is determined by measuring the average distance when the
net is taut, between the inner edges of 2 diagonally opposite knots of each of
10 meshes that are at least 30 centimetres from each other.
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