NEW CAPABILITY FOR PATROL AGENCY
A new fisheries patrol vessel is being built to help Queensland crack down on illegal fishing in the state’s north, as the government pushes to lift the value of primary production to $30 billion by 2030.
Construction of the $11 million, 21-metre fisheries patrol vessel and a 5.4-metre tender is now under way, the government says.
It will be used by the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) for fisheries surveillance and inspections along Queensland’s northern coastline, the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The fisheries patrol vessel will be able to carry out extended offshore patrols of up to 10 days.
Brisbane-based boat builder Norman R. Wright & Sons is building the fisheries patrol vessel with fit-for-purpose navigation and communications technology, improved stability and manoeuvrability, a longer fuel range and enhanced onboard accommodation.
Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett says the vessel will strengthen the state’s ability to protect fisheries, resources and marine environments.
“Queensland’s fisheries support regional communities, recreational fishers, commercial operators and tourism businesses, and protecting those resources requires a strong compliance presence on the water,” he says.
“This new vessel will provide Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers with the capability to undertake longer offshore patrols, respond to compliance issues and support multi-agency enforcement activities across some of Queensland’s most important and remote marine environments.
“I’m also incredibly pleased that the contract for this vessel’s construction has been awarded to a 115-year-old Queensland family business, extending the impact of the project beyond fisheries and into our local manufacturing industry and jobs,” he says.
MP for Cook David Kempton says recent incursions of brazen and illegal foreign fishing vessels and crew highlight why the investment matters to the community.
“The waters off Cape York, the Torres Strait and Gulf of Carpentaria are vast, remote and challenging, but this investment will deliver better protections for far north Queensland coastal and island communities,” he says.
“For people in the north, our waterways are part of everyday life, they support livelihoods, put food on the table and connect communities so protecting these fisheries for future generations matters.
“To have a vessel that’s purpose built for northern conditions, will make a tremendous difference to the officers patrolling and the community they serve, and I look forward to seeing it on the water,” he says.
The state government wants the new fisheries patrol vessel to help stop illegal fishing and strengthen community confidence in sustainable fisheries management, as it works towards its $30 billion primary production goal by 2030.
