Commercial Fishing

What it covers

From small family trawlers in Spencer Gulf to highly regulated demersal fleets in WA, Australian commercial fisheries operate under science-based quota systems among the world's most rigorous.

Key facts

• Almost every fishery operates under ITQ or TAC quotas
• AFMA manages all Commonwealth fisheries
• State agencies manage inshore and estuarine fisheries
• Stock status reports published every two years
• Fleet methods include pot, trap, line, trawl, and dive — selected to minimise bycatch
• Most stocks classified as sustainable or recovering

By the numbers