Norfolk Island Fishery

At a glance

Norfolk Island lies in the South Pacific Ocean at 29° south latitude and 168° east longitude. It is an Australian external Territory approximately 1500 km east of Brisbane, Queensland and 1100 km north of Auckland, New Zealand.

Australia exercises territorial control over the Island's surrounding 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The fisheries in this area consist of an inshore shelf/upper slope fishery and an exploratory offshore deepwater fishery (Eastern Tuna and Billfish operators also target tuna and tuna like species in the Norfolk Island Offshore Fishery).

The Norfolk Island Offshore

The Norfolk Island Offshore Demersal Finfish Fishery (NIODFF) extends 200 nautical miles from Norfolk Island, excluding the area of the Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery and abutting the New Caledonian EEZ in the north and New Zealand EEZ in the south.

Commercial fishing in the NIODFF extends back to the 1970s but has been sporadic and has met with variable success. There are currently no commercial fishing concessions in the NIODFF. Exploration of the fishery and its resources has generated a range of information but to date, this has been insufficient to define the nature of any ongoing fishery.

AFMA is currently developing policies which will better guide any future exploration and commercial fishing in the AFZ, including waters of the NIODFF.

Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery

The Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery covers an area of approximately 67 x 40 nautical miles and was designed to include all shelf waters surrounding Norfolk Island. No commercial fishing permits currently exist in the inshore waters adjacent to Norfolk Island although fishing is undertaken by residents of Norfolk Island. The principal species targeted in this fishery is trumpeter (Lethrinus miniatus). An interim AFMA Board Policy (PDF 21kb) on management of the inshore waters is currently in place.

AFMA is working with other Commonwealth Government departments, the Norfolk Island Government and other stakeholders to develop longer term arrangements for this fishery.

Page last updated 6 August, 2008