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- Notices and Announcements
- The Torres Strait Finfish Fishery Management Plan
- Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery Management Arrangements for 2012
- The Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery: Buy-out of licences
- New Torres Strait Fisheries Legislative Instruments
- Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery Management arrangements for 2011
- Call for pre-proposals for Fisheries Research in the Torres Strait
- 20m boat rule and gear restriction trials in the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery
- Future Operating Environment for the Torres Strait Rock Lobster Fishery
- Investment and increased fishing effort warnings
- Resources
- PZJA and Committees
- Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA)
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 30 January 2012
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 15 December 2011
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 15 September 2011 – Licence leasing in TSPF
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 9 September 2011
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 10 May 2011
- PZJA Meeting 22 – 30 April-1 May 2008
- PZJA Meeting 21 – 28-29 August 2007
- PZJA Meeting 20 – 25-26 October 2006
- PZJA Meeting 19 – 27 April 2006
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 23 November 2010
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 30 December 2009
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 25 November 2009
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 23 January 2009
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 27 January 2011
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 19 February 2009
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC)
- Meeting 56: 5-6 October 2011, Brisbane
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 55
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 54
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 53
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 52
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 51
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 50
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 49
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 48
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 47
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 46
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Meeting 45
- Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) Terms of Reference
- Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Working Group (TSTRLWG)
- Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Resource Assessment Group (TSTRL RAG)
- Torres Strait Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (TSFMAC)
- Torres Strait Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (TSFMAC) Meeting 11
- Torres Strait Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (TSFMAC) Meeting 10
- Torres Strait Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (TSFMAC) Meeting 9
- Torres Strait Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (TSFMAC) Meeting 8
- Torres Strait Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (TSFMAC) Meeting 7
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC)
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 12
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Out of Session Meeting – 25 July 2011
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 11
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Out of Session Meeting – 3 November 2010
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 10
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 9
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Out of Session Meeting – 26 August 2009
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Out of Session Meeting – 10 August 2009
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 8
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Out of Session Meeting – 7 May 2009
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Out of Session Meeting – 9 February 2009
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 7
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Out of Session Meeting – 12 August 2009
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 6
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 5
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 4
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 3
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 2
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 1
- Torres Strait Prawn Working Group (TSPWG)
- Torres Strait Finfish Working Group (TSFFWG)
- Torres Strait Hand Collectables Working Group meeting (TSHCWG)
- Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA)
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Torres Strait Prawn Fishery
Map showing the area of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery (2006)
The Torres Strait Prawn Fishery (TSPF) is a multi-species prawn fishery (Endeavour, tiger and king prawns) that operates in the eastern part of the Torres Strait. This is one of the most valuable commercial fisheries in the Torres Strait with 907 tonnes of product valued around $10 million taken in the 2008 fishing season.
Brown Tiger prawn (Penaeus esculentus) and the Blue Endeavour prawn (Metapenaeus endeavouri) are the key target species. The Red Spot King prawn (Melicertus longistylus) is essentially a by-product species. Prawn harvesting occurs at night, primarily using the otter trawl (quad) method which involves towing four trawl nets behind a boat. The TSPF has restrictions on the type of gear and boat that can be used during fishing. Fishing is permitted in the TSPF from 1 March to 1 December each year and the number of days fished is limited through a total allowable effort cap.
Management objectives
The TSPF is managed through the Torres Strait Prawn Fisheries Management Plan (the plan). The objectives of the plan are:
- to ensure the optimum utilisation of the fishery resources within the TSPF is consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development and the exercise of the precautionary principle;
- to promote economic efficiency in the utilisation of the fisheries resources within the TSPF;
- to ensure cooperative, efficient and cost effective management of the fishery; and
- to manage the fishery’s interactions with the marine environment including the incidental capture of non-target species and impacts on demersal habitats.
A Harvest Strategy for the TSPF was introduced in 2011 and was developed by PZJA Agencies. The Harvest Strategy provides a framework for management decisions within the fishery and control rules. The Harvest Strategy will ensure management is more transparent and logical and the fishery meets pre-defined ecological and economic goals. A copy of the harvest strategy can be found below.
Documents
Hot Topics
- The Torres Strait Finfish Fishery Management Plan
- The Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery: Buy-out of licences
- PZJA Out of Session Decisions 15 September 2011 – Licence leasing in TSPF
- Torres Strait Prawn Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) Meeting 12
- Harvest Strategy for the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery