This Act, consisting of 270 sections divided into twenty Parts and completed by three Schedules, aims to develop and manage fisheries and aquaculture in a sustainable way by: conserving fish and protecting their environment; ensuring that the impact of fishing and aquaculture on aquatic fauna and their habitats is ecologically sustainable and that the use of all aquatic resources is carried out in a sustainable manner; enabling the management of fishing, aquaculture, tourism that is reliant on fishing, aquatic eco tourism and associated non extractive activities that are reliant on fish and the aquatic environment; fostering the sustainable development of commercial and recreational fishing and aquaculture, including the establishment and management of aquaculture facilities for community or commercial purposes; providing for the control of foreign interests in fishing, aquaculture and associated industries; enabling the management of fish habitat protection areas and the Abrolhos Islands reserve; etc. The Act provides for the administration of this Act (Part 2) and for the joint management of fisheries by the Commonwealth and the State (Part 3). The Act provides for the establishment of the Fishery Management Advisory Board for the protection and management of the fishery, defines its composition, and its powers and functions (Part 4). The Act prescribes: restrictions on engaging in any fishing activity of a specified class; restrictions on the taking of totally protected fish, commercially protected fish or recreationally protected fish; and bag and possession limits (Part 5). The Act further provides for: the preparation of a management plan for a fishery; for managed fishery licences and interim managed fishery permits; requirements and procedures for obtaining permits for processing fish and licences for engaging in aquaculture; powers of the Minister to grant leases for the use of an area of land or water for the purpose of aquaculture; restrictions on the introduction of exotic and noxious fish in the waters of the State; prescription of designated fishing zones; powers of the minister to create fish habitat protection areas; duties of the Registrar to keep a register of authorizations, temporary aquaculture permits, aquaculture leases and exemptions; fish trafficking; emergency powers to deal with biological threats; appointment of fisheries officers and their powers; offences and penalties; etc.
Australia · 1994-11-02