The 2021 black teatfish trial opening will commence on 30 April 2021 with a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limit set at 20 tonnes. This is an important milestone for the Torres Strait Beche-de-mer (BDM) Fishery. It is a positive step towards redeveloping the black teatfish component of the BDM Fishery and increasing economic returns for the Torres Strait BDM industry.
At its 28 January 2021 meeting the Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) agreed on the Torres Strait Finfish Fishery Total Allowable Catch limits for Spanish mackerel and Coral trout for the 2021-22 fishing season as follows:
Media release from the Australian Border Force
New underwater technology has been successfully deployed across the Torres Strait to combat illegal activity in the region, particularly illegal foreign fishing.
For information on investment warnings applicable to the Torres Strait fisheries, contact the licensing officer on (02) 6225 5555.
On 25 February 2021, Senator the Hon. Jonathon Duniam determined an increase to the total allowable catch (TAC) of tropical rock lobster (TRL) in the Australian waters of the TRL Fishery from 200 tonnes to 420.863 tonnes for the 2020-21 fishing season (Torres Strait Fisheries Tropical Rock Lobster (Total Allowable Catch) Amendment Determination (No. 1) 2021).
On 4 October 2022, the PZJA agreed to grant a permit for scientific purposes to CSIRO to undertake an annual Tropical Rock Lobster fishery independent population survey (commonly referred to as ‘the pre-season survey’) which is scheduled to take place from 8–22 November 2022 across the region. Find out more information in the community notice.
We wish to advise of a planned IT outage for critical systems and infrastructure maintenance from 6pm Sunday 13 November until 3am Monday 14 November 2022 inclusive.
On 27 August 2020, the PZJA agreed to a trial reopening of the fishery for black teatfish subject to a 20 tonne Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and requirement of daily landing and daily reporting of catch through the mandatory fish receiver system.