More Commercial Net Licences Bought Back

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Taken from Fisheries Qld Catch email newsletter

The second round of offers to buyback commercial net licences in the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery closed on 28 March 2013 and attracted 74 submissions.

The Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority (QRAA) assessed the submissions and the government agreed to the buyback of 13 licences with 42 symbols.

This brings the total number of licences purchased through the net buyback to 35, including 113 symbols.

The offers primarily focused on N1 and N2 licences for net fishing, however some of the licence packages offered also included symbols for crab, line and trawl fishing.

Opportunities to further extend the program are now being considered, with $2.4 million spent out of the $9 million committed to the program. The Net Buyback Stakeholder Group are discussing the eligibility criteria to potentially invite more offers.

For further information, visit www.qraa.qld.gov.au or call QRAA on freecall 1800 623 946.

With regards to the above licences being bought back, my query is:

were these licences still being worked,and if so, by buying them back will X,Y or Z amounts of fish/crabs etc now be taken out of the catch quota system and now remain in the water for the betterment of our fisheries,

OR were these licences laying dormant not being used, for various reseasons such as being unprofitable.

So basically what I`m asking, of some one who is qualified to give an answer is: by buying back these above mentioned licences will there be an actual benefit for our fisheries or are these licences not being worked and are just a piece of paper that are cluttering up some ones desk drawer because they are unviable and no pro fisherman would work them