Commercial fishing

Commercial fishing

About 35 commercial fishing crews regularly operate in the Marine Park and mainly undertake:

  • prawn trawling
  • spanner crab netting
  • trap and line fishing
  • commercial bait gathering
  • beach hauling

Oyster farming is the only form of aquaculture in the Marine Park:

  • four businesses operate 17 oyster leases in the Brunswick River, with most in the downstream regions of the main arm and Marshalls Creek
  • two leases operate in Simpsons Creek

All forms of setline/dropline, longline and purse seine net fishing are prohibited in the Marine Park.

Further details of the permitted commercial fishing activities are in the management rules, the zoning map (PDF, 1780.93 KB) and user guide (PDF, 525.8 KB).

Other fisheries regulations also apply.

Vessels travelling through sanctuary zones

Fishers may transit through any sanctuary zone (ie. Travelling from one place where the fishing gear can be legally used to another place the gear can be legally used) with:

  • Fishing rod 'fully rigged', provided no part of the line is immersed in the water and no hook is baited
  • Nets provided no part of the net is in the water

Other management actions