Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020

Administered by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Legislation au F2020L01597 Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

 

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Issued by authority of the Protected Zone Joint Authority  

Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984

Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009

Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020

Legislative authority

Section 15A of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 (the Act) provides that the Minister may, by legislative instrument, determine a plan of management for a fishery in an area of Australian jurisdiction.  A management plan made under the Act is to set out, amongst other things, the objectives of the plan of management and measures by which the objectives are to be attained.

Subsection 15A(4) of the Act provides that the Minister may in a plan of management for a fishery, determine the manner in which the fishing capacity of the fishery is to be measured; and provide for the periodic determination of the fishing capacity, measured in that manner, permitted for the fishery.

Subsection 35(1) of the Act provides for the Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) to exercise the powers of the Minister under subsection 15A of the Act in respect of a ‘Protected Zone Joint Authority fishery’.

Subsection 28(1) of the Act provides that a ‘Protected Zone Joint Authority fishery’ is a fishery in respect of which an arrangement under Part V of the Act is in place.  The Arrangement between the Commonwealth and the State of Queensland under section 31 of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 (the PZJA Arrangement[1]), made under Part V of the Act, provides that the PZJA is to have management of commercial fishing of any kind other than certain exceptions, in the areas described in subsection 4(2) of the PZJA Arrangement.

Subsection 2.5(1) of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009 (the Management Plan) stipulates that at least every 3 years the PZJA will determine the TAE for the fishery, based on the reference points determined under section 2.4, or other management strategy.

The Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020 (the Determination) is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2003 (the Legislation Act).  

Due to application of subsection 44(1) of the Legislation Act, the Determination is exempt from parliamentary scrutiny and is not subject to sunsetting by application of subsection 54(1) and paragraph 54(2)(b) of the Legislation Act, read together with item 63AB of the table in section 12 of the Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Regulation 2015.

Purpose

The purpose of the instrument is to determine the TAE for the Torres Strait Prawn fishery for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 fishing seasons. The fishing season is determined under subsection 2.3(2) of the Management Plan. Pursuant to subsection 2.5(1) of the Management Plan, the PZJA determines the TAE for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 fishing seasons in the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery to be 9,200 fishing days for each fishing season.

Consultation

Subsection 2.5(2) of the Management Plan stipulates that before determining the TAE, the PZJA will consult the TSPMAC and consider the TSPMAC’s views; and may consult and consider the views of interested persons.

The Authority, on behalf of thePZJA, consulted the TSPMAC at its January 2020 meeting. In making a recommendation about the TAE, the committee considered the TSPF Harvest Strategy 2011 (the harvest strategy), along with catch and effort data from the fishery, and recommended the TAE be set for the next three years (2021, 2022 and 2023) at 9,200 days. These advisory committees were established under subsection 40(7) of the Act. Memberships of these advisory committees comprise of an independent Chair, Authority agencies (Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Torres Strait Regional Authority, and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries), a scientist, and industry (from both the traditional inhabitant and non-traditional inhabitant sectors). 

Further, a determination under this section must be published on the PZJA website and, if practicable, notified to all holders of TSPF boat licences and TSPF Treaty endorsements.

Native Title

The determination of the TAE by the PZJA is a future act for the purposes of the Native Title Act. Section 24HA of the Native Title Act relevantly provides that the making of legislation in relation to the management or regulation of living aquatic resources is a valid future act, insofar as the instrument is validly made.

As the instrument is not a future act consisting of “the grant of a lease, licence, permit or authority under legislation”, subsection 24HA(2) of the Native Title Act does not apply, and native title notification is not required under subsection 24HA(7).  For this reason, Native Title notification under section 24HA of the Native Title Act 1993 (Native Title Act) has not been undertaken.

Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

As the instrument is exempt from disallowance through the process of parliamentary scrutiny, by application of subsection 44(1) of the Legislation Act, a statement of compatibility with human rights does not have to be prepared for the purpose of Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Regulation impact statement

The Office of Best Practice Regulation advised that a Regulation Impact Statement was not required for this instrument consistent with agreed carve out arrangements (OBPR reference number14421).

Details of the instrument are set out in Attachment A.

ATTACHMENT A

Details on provisions

Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020

Section 1

Provides that the name of the instrument is the Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020.

Section 2

Provides that the instrument commences on the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Section 3

Provides that the instrument is made under section 15A of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 and section 2.5 of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009.

Section 4

Provides for the definitions used in the Instrument.

Section 5

Provides that the total allowable effort for the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 fishing seasons is a total of 9,200 fishing days.

 

 

 

 

[1] PZJA Arrangement means the document titled “Arrangement between the Commonwealth and the State of Queensland under section 31 of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984” dated 17 March 1999 and published on the Federal Register of Legislation, as that document exists at the commencement of this Instrument.

Note: The PZJA Arrangement could in 2020 be viewed on the website of the Federal Register of Legislation (https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2008B00750).

Overview

The Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020 was enacted to establish the Total Allowable Effort (TAE) for the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery for the fishing seasons of 2021, 2022, and 2023. This legislation is a legislative instrument made under section 15A of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 and section 2.5 of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009. The Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA), which exercises the powers of the Minister under the Act in respect of a 'Protected Zone Joint Authority fishery', was responsible for this determination. The primary policy objective of this instrument is to manage and regulate the fishing capacity of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery effectively, ensuring sustainable fishing practices while considering the views of relevant advisory committees and industry stakeholders. The TAE for the specified fishing seasons was set at 9,200 fishing days, following consultation with the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) and consideration of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Harvest Strategy 2011.

Scope and Application

The Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020 applies to the management of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery, overseen by the Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) as per the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 and the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009. The PZJA is tasked with determining the total allowable effort (TAE) for the fishery, measured in fishing days, for the 2021, 2022, and 2023 fishing seasons. This legislation pertains specifically to fisheries operating within the Australian jurisdiction of the Torres Strait, focusing on the management and sustainable harvesting of prawns. The authority of this Determination extends under the legislative framework established by the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984, with the PZJA exercising powers delegated by the Minister for Fisheries, as outlined in the Act. The Determination is exempt from parliamentary scrutiny and does not require sunsetting provisions, and it is not subject to disallowance under the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011. Furthermore, as the Determination does not constitute a grant of a lease, licence, permit, or authority under legislation, it does not necessitate native title notification under the Native Title Act 1993. The PZJA is required to consult with the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Advisory Committee and consider their views, as well as those of interested parties, before determining the TAE.

Key Provisions

The key operative sections of the Torres Strait Fisheries (Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Total Allowable Effort) Determination 2020 include section 1, which provides the name of the instrument, and section 5, which sets the total allowable effort (TAE) for the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery for the 2021, 2022, and 2023 fishing seasons at 9,200 fishing days (section 5). The instrument is made under section 15A of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 and section 2.5 of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009 (section 3). The instrument commences on the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation (section 2), and it includes definitions used within the instrument (section 4). The Determination is designed to manage the fishing capacity of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery according to the management strategies outlined in the relevant acts and plans. The Determination imposes obligations on the Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) to consult with the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Advisory Committee (TSPMAC) and consider their views before determining the TAE (subsection 2.5(2) of the Management Plan). The PZJA must also consult with other interested parties, if deemed appropriate. The PZJA must ensure the determination is published on its website and, if practicable, notified to all holders of Torres Strait Prawn Fishery (TSPF) boat licences and TSPF Treaty endorsements. The PZJA is also required to adhere to the management strategies and reference points determined under the Management Plan and the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984. There are no specific offences or penalties outlined in the Determination itself, as it is a legislative instrument that sets the TAE rather than imposing sanctions. However, any breach of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 or the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery Management Plan 2009, which the Determination supports, could lead to civil or criminal penalties. These penalties may include fines and potential imprisonment, depending on the nature and severity of the breach. The exact penalties would be determined according to the provisions of the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 and any other relevant legislation. The Determination is exempt from disallowance through the process of parliamentary scrutiny, and therefore, it is not subject to sunsetting, as per the provisions of the Legislation Act 2003.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.