The Fisheries

Commercial fishing is one of the most economically important activities in the Torres Strait Protected Zone (TSPZ) and provides a significant opportunity for financial independence for community fishers.

The Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) has a policy of maximising the opportunities for Islander participation in all sectors of the fishing industry.

A limited number of non-Islanders participate in the TSPZ fisheries. The PZJA has prevented expansion by this group since shortly after the Treaty was ratified through the requirement that non-Islanders must purchase an existing licence to gain access to a fishery. The PZJA has also attempted to reserve growth in Torres Strait fisheries, where there is scope for expansion, for Torres Strait Islanders, although there have been some exceptions where the same number of licences have increased their effort.

From 1 April 1999, it was proposed that in all PZJA fisheries, Torres Strait Islanders would need to hold a current Torres Strait Traditional Inhabitant Fishing Boat Licence (TIB) or Torres Strait Fishing Boat Licence for the purpose of commercial fishing in the TSPZ. The TIB licence is available only to Torres Strait Islanders or Aboriginal people from three Northern Peninsula Area communities. A Torres Strait Fishing Boat Licence (TVH) may be owned and used by either traditional inhabitants or non-traditional inhabitants. The new licensing system was intended to replace the community licensing arrangements that had existed up to that date. The introduction of the new licensing system for Torres Strait Islanders was deferred, however, following concerns expressed by some Island communities about the new system. After extensive consultations with Islander representatives, the PZJA agreed in April 2000 to introduce the Traditional Inhabitant Fishing Boat Licence on a one-year trial basis. During 2002-2003 the uptake of licences by community fishers increased.

The individual fisheries are:

• prawn
• tropical rock lobster
• spanish mackerel
• pearl shell
• dugong and turtle
• barramundi
• finfish
• crab
• trochus
• sea cucumber

The Torres Strait Treaty was entered into by Australia and Papua New Guinea in February 1985. It is concerned with sovereignty and maritime boundaries in the area between the two countries and the protection of the way of life and livelihood of traditional inhabitants and the marine environment.

The Commonwealth Parliament passed the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 and it came into force in February 1985. The purpose of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 is to give effect, in Australian law, to the fisheries elements of the Torres Strait Treaty.

Page last updated 2 January, 2007