00:02Neil Green has been netting fish off the North Queensland coast for decades but the future of
00:09his commercial fishing business is at risk. I think I'd just be forced out and probably
00:14retire but it's it's not about me it's about the next generation of fishers that are coming on.
00:19In 2023 the federal and state governments announced the phase-out of gillnet fishing
00:25in the Great Barrier Reef with a task force established to trial alternative methods.
00:31That's been a failure. None of it will take the place of gillnets.
00:35Fishermen fear they'll have to shut down when the ban comes into effect from July next year
00:40and businesses relying on the seafood industry are nervous.
00:45They'll be non-existent. Fish and chip shops will be all gone especially up along the north coast.
00:50Fishers are pushing for an extension of their gillnet licenses but conservationists say the
00:56risk for marine life is too high. For decades we've seen reported interactions as well as photos from
01:03the general public of species like turtles and dugongs wrapped up and dying in commercial
01:09gillnets throughout Queensland. The Queensland government won't say if an extension will be
01:14granted but says it will continue to work with commercial fishers to find a suitable alternative.
01:20We look for ultimately solutions to these sorts of things and that's why that trial work is
01:24important as it continues to make certain that there is alternate gear into the future.
