News and media

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.

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).

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:

The Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) considered the outcomes of public consultation undertaken between 16 December 2019 and 29 February 2020 on a draft Developmental Permit for Training Purposes Policy (Training Permit Policy).

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.

An unlicensed fish receiver operating in the Torres Strait, was convicted in the Thursday Island Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday 13 October 2020, for offences identified in late 2019. The man was found in illegal possession of 41.3 kilograms of processed sea cucumbers (also known as beche de mer) and operating an unlicensed fish receiving operation in the Torres Strait Protected Zone (TSPZ).

Cooperation between the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and Maritime Border Command (MBC), a joint agency task force enabled by both the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), has resulted in the removal of environmental hazards from the waters of northern Australia in recent months.

Black and white teatfish are species listed under the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II. The listing took effect on 28 August 2020.  This means that the species can only be exported under a CITES export permit, issued by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the Department) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).