Charter fishing

Fisheries Queensland recognises charter fishing as a distinct fishing activity with social and economic benefits. Charter fishing is a tourism-based sector operating throughout the state, promoted as one of Queensland's 'things to do'.

Charter fishing operators take paying passengers on fishing trips, including:

• spear fishing
• game fishing
• tag-and-release fishing
• demersal (bottom) reef fishing
• pelagic fishing
• guided fishing.

Licences and approvals

A charter fishing licence is required when taking paying passengers on fishing trips in offshore waters (more than 2 metres deep).

Reporting

You must record details of your charter fishing activities in daily logbooks.

Trip limits

Some trip limits are increased for extended charter fishing trips.

For a continuous charter fishing trip of at least 72 hours but less than 168 hours:

• twice the regulated maximum number of a particular species or a group of species of regulated coral reef fin fish
• but no more than a total of 40 regulated coral reef fin fish of all species or groups of species.

For a continuous charter fishing trip of at least 168 hours:

• twice the regulated maximum number of a particular species or a group of species of regulated coral reef fin fish
• but no more than a total of 60 regulated coral reef fin fish of all species or groups of species.

Form requirements

Regulated coral reef fin fish

The recreational fisher may only possess a regulated coral reef fin fish taken in filleted form if on an extended charter fishing trip or at least 72 hours:

• all the skin on the fillet remains attached to the fillet
• and
• the fillets of each species of fish taken are packaged separately
• and
• each package is labelled with the common name of the species of fish in the package.

Other fish

For fish other than regulated coral reef fin fish, a recreational fisher on a boat during a licensed charter fishing trip that is conducted for a continuous period of at least 48 hours may posses the fish on the boat in a form with skin removed if a square area of skin with sides of at least 3cm each is left on the fish.

• Last reviewed: 13 Feb 2024
• Last updated: 10 Jul 2024