Australian Fisheries Management Authority services over the holidays

Four new fisheries management instruments have been made for Torres Strait fisheries. They replace preexisting instruments and include several changes to the content of each instrument.

Draft amendments to the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009 are open for public comment.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲 – 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞On 20 March 2026, AFMA received strong advice from the Fisheries Advisory Committee of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Board that the scheduled 23 March 2026 opening date of the Blackteat Fishery should be delayed due to an unacceptable risk posed on traditional inhabitant boat (TIB) fishers to reach the blackteat fishing grounds.

All fishers participating in the 2026 black teatfish season will be required to use vessel monitoring systems (VMS). The Protected Zone Joint Authority Standing Committee agreed to a Vessel Monitoring System trial for the 2026 black teatfish season to support sustainability and compliance. AFMA CEO Wez Norris and TSRA CEO Charlie Kaddy outlined the key sustainability reasons driving the trial including: