Industry News

QUEENSLAND'S peak commercial fishing group has accused the federal government of pandering to "green" ideology by proposing a marine park in the Coral Sea larger than NSW, possibly forcing at least 40 trawler operators to relocate.

A LIFT in sales of 11 per cent last year by Gold Coast marine company Dockpro is proof that you can go against even the worst economic tide. While other marine companies on the Coast struggled to grow, or even stay a float last year, the company behind the innovative Sea Pen boat docking system con

WITH a humorous fishing t-shirt and a passion for casting a line, it's clear Nathan Smythe loves wetting a line. He loves fishing so much he's going to name his unborn son Noah.

Queensland authorities are investigating the death of an Irish tourist on the Great Barrier Reef. The man in his 40s was on a snorkelling trip at Saxon Reef, about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Port Douglas, when he went into cardiac arrest just before 11:00am on Tuesday.

Queensland's reef-tourism operators could be forced to have at least two head-counting systems to ensure tourists aren't left at sea. A parliamentary review of the dive and snorkelling industry has proposed new laws to improve safety and avoid a repeat of the horrifying case of US divers Tom and Ei

THIRTY-TWO passengers and six crew members were evacuated from the Anaconda III after it struck Bait Reef in the Whitsundays on Monday morning. The 30m yacht, which is used for tourist trips, began taking on water after it struck the reef, damaging its hull, at about 6.

FIVE seafood trawlers have declared their practice environmentally damaging and say the federal government should buy them out and expand a proposed conservation sanctuary earmarked for the temperate east marine region.

Recreational fishers will no longer be required to remove the pectoral fin from coral reef fin fish and Spanish mackerel from today following changes to Queensland fishing rules.

Australian companies are sure to impress at this year’s 2011 Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam - the world’s largest trade exhibition of equipment, materials and systems for the international marine leisure industry.

THE Sunshine Coast Marine Festival not only incorporates the Sunshine Coast Sailing Expo but is being held at the Mooloolaba Marina and Yacht Club – coinciding with the reopening of the Yacht Club after a seven year closure.

The latest test results on further marine life samples taken from Gladstone have confirmed a parasitic flatworm as the cause of cloudy eyes in barramundi, and found no parasitic, bacterial or fungal pathogens on other species tested so far.

Announced at the Seawind & Corsair Pittwater Regatta in front of a crowd of 150 multihull owners and crew, Multihull Central is now up and running and already doing business as the exclusive distributor for Seawind Catamarans, Corsair Trimarans, new and used brokerage quality Multihulls, plus servic

The World Heritage Centre is concerned a dredging operation for coal seam gas at Gladstone Harbour in central Queensland is threatening the Great Barrier Reef.

When is a marine festival more than a show for boaties - when it is a community event – that is the word from Marine Queensland in announcing the Sunshine Coast’s inaugural Marine Festival to be held later this month.

DO YOU love spending time on the water and have you always dreamt of owning your own boat? If you answered yes then The Mackay Marina Sales Centre is the place to be this Saturday.

QUEENSLAND'S peak fishing body has slammed a State Government push to allow anglers to keep female mud crabs, describing the move as irresponsible and naive.

FISHERMEN warn the mining boom could decimate Queensland's $500 million seafood industry and are demanding consultation on future port developments to prevent a repeat of the Gladstone Harbour fish disease "disaster".

A TURF war has erupted between North Queensland's coral trout fishermen as they fight for ownership of depleted fish stocks. Bowen fishermen have been forced to travel to Innisfail after their waters were left barren by consecutive cyclones, but Innisfail's fishermen are protecting their own precio

MACKAY kite surfing fans were enjoying yesterday's wild windy weather - even if the rest of us weren't. As wind gusts of up to 70kmh have whipped past Creal Reef, most local boaties have sensibly opted to remain on dry land.

A BUCASIA fisherman, 31, has been found after spending the night in a dory at sea, about three nautical miles from Square Reef. A Mackay police spokesman said the man was reported missing at 7.