23 November 2001

Northern Fisheries Centre wins Client Service Award.

The Department of Primary Industries' Northern Fisheries Centre in Cairns today received a DPI Client Service Award in recognition of its outstanding 20-year relationship with the Gulf of Carpentaria fishing community.

The Centre's Tropical Resource Assessment Program (TRAP) team was nominated by Gary Ward, Chairman of the Gulf of Carpentaria branch of the Queensland Seafood Industry Association.

Queensland Fisheries Service deputy director-general, Peter Neville, said the TRAP team had successfully collaborated with commercial, recreational, and indigenous sectors of the Gulf fishing community to sustain fish stocks and fisheries habitat.

"Projects in the Gulf are community-driven and aimed at the ecologically sustainable management of the region's fisheries resources for the benefit of the whole community and for future generations," Mr Neville said.

"We have also encouraged job opportunities in the Karumba area. The Gulf Barramundi Restocking Association hatchery has employed a biologist and the facility is becoming a tourist destination.

"The sustained commitment of TRAP team members with the restocking initiative required long hours driving on remote-area dirt roads, assisting with the capture of brood stock in crocodile-infested Gulf rivers and the equally challenging task of obtaining funding to continue the work," he said.

Mr Neville said the team had worked with the Weipa Catchment Committee to undertake recreational fishing, community-driven mud crab surveys, in response to concerns that crab numbers were decreasing.

The Northern Fisheries Centre team had also provided significant consultation and research support during the formulation of a fisheries management plan for Gulf inshore fin fish resources, and had gained funding for an industry code of conduct - the first step towards an environmental management plan for Gulf inshore fisheries.

"The publication of an indigenous subsistence fishing survey kit is a tangible result of the collaboration between the TRAP team and the indigenous community, through BALKANU," Mr Neville said.

"The kit was the first produced in Australia and is a leading initiative in attempting to formally document indigenous harvest of their fisheries resources," he said.

TRAP team members include Dr Neil Gribble, Rod Garrett, Lew Williams, Sue Helmke, Mal Pearce, Stirling Peverell, Jason Stapley, Gary Pomroy, and Ian Smith.

Mr Neville said the fishing industry was central to the economic and social well-being of the remote Gulf communities and fisheries resources were the major source of revenue and employment.

Photo caption: Dr Neil Gribble (middle) accepts the DPI Client Service award on behalf of Northern Fisheries Centre staff following a presentation by Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk (left) and DPI Director-General Dr Warren Hoey (right).

Photo available on request, contact Lisa Connors on 07 3224 7757.

Further information: Rod Garrett (07) 4035 0110
Fisheries Media Coordinator: Lisa Connors (07) 3224 7757

Department of Primary Industries Media Unit
GPO Box 46 Brisbane Qld 4001 Fax (07) 3239 0860