If you are a fishing licence holder, except in the Prawn Fishery, you must land all commercial catch to the holder of a Fish Receiver Licence. You must provide your name and fishing licence details to the Fish Receiver.
Generally, boats with a Carrier Licence Class B or Class C must have an associated Fish Receiver Licence and can receive catch. If a carrier boat has an exemption from this requirement, it must take the catch directly to a Fish Receiver.
If you are receiving commercial catch, you must hold a Torres Strait Fish Receivers licence. To apply for a licence, lodge the following application.
- Application for a Torres Strait Fish Receivers Licence (PDF, 186 KB)
You can only receive product from licenced Torres Strait commercial fishers. You must weigh the catch, complete a catch disposal record and send it to AFMA within three days of receiving the catch.
For more information, see the checklist for fishers and fish receivers (PDF, 308 KB).
The fish receiver and the fisher must be different people, meaning one person cannot sign both sections of the catch disposal record. If you are a fisher and a fish receiver, you can nominate an authorised agent to complete the catch disposal record.
- Authorised Agent Nomination Form (PDF, 444 KB)
Frequently Asked Questions about the Fish Receiver System
The fish receiver system (FRS) is used to get accurate and timely records of the weight of commercial catches. FRS data is used to ensure commercial catches do not exceed the Total Allowable Catch or individual quota holdings in a given fishing season.
The FRS applies to all Torres Strait commercial fisheries, except the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery.
A fish receiver is a licenced person who is required to weigh a fisher’s catch when it is unloaded. Fish receivers must fill in a Catch Disposal Record (TDB02) either on paper, or electronically, which informs AFMA how much fish has been caught and by who (the fisher). The fisher (or their agent) must provide their name, fishing licence details and sign the CDR. For more information refer to the Checklist for Receivers fact sheet.
Not always. In most cases the fish receiver will be a buyer. However, sometimes the fisher will land their catch to a fish receiver, have it weighed and then store the catch to sell it to a different buyer later.
The Torres Strait Licence register lists all licenced fishers and fish receivers and is available on the PZJA website.
AFMA provides the Torres Strait Fisheries Catch Disposal Record (TDB02) or online access to use electronic CDRs. Contact AFMA Licensing for information to set up and use electronic CDRs.
By licence conditions. Your fishing licences states you can only land fish to a licenced fish receiver. Fish receiver licences state a fish receiver can only receive fish from a licenced fisher.
You can apply for a fish receiver licence by completing a Fish Receiver Licence Application form available from the AFMA Thursday Island Office or the PZJA website.
A fish receiver licence is free. Licence fees may be introduced in the future.