Queensland supports a small coral harvest fishery that markets corals and other marine products, such as living rock (a reef substrate used in aquaria) to the aquarium market and for ornamental purposes.

Coral in the public aquarium Reef HQ Townsville Photo: GBRMPA

Until the late 1980s, the main market for corals collected from the Great Barrier Reef was for ornaments and for sale as decorations in home aquaria. Since that time, there has been an increase in the understanding of how to maintain living corals in aquarium systems, and live corals have been increasingly sold to supply the aquarium market. There are also a number of public aquariums, such as Reef HQ in Townsville, which display corals for educational purposes.

The coral harvest fishery is managed by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (QDPI&F). Collection of corals is restricted to fishers licensed to collect from 50 lease areas on the Queensland coast. The amount harvested (or "take") is reported to the management agency on an annual basis. The fishery is a permitted activity within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The industry is quite small, supporting just 36 fishers in 1999. The coral harvest fishers usually also collect aquarium fishes, under a different set of regulations.

Until the mid-1980s, ornamental corals were the main product of the coral harvest fishery. Photo: QDPI&F

For some time, the Queensland Government has recognised that there have been some problems with management of the fishery. The authorities (lease areas) in which coral collection is permitted are suitable to collect ornamental corals, but contain few of the coral species targeted by the aquarium industry. There have also been debates about whether the collection effort would have less impact on the reef if it were spread over a wider area, rather than being concentrated within leases. In addition, the coral harvest fishers have sought approval of the Australian Government to export corals. This is currently not permitted.

DPI&F has initiated a broad process of consultation to produce a revised management plan for the fishery, with input from the community and the coral harvest industry. At the same time, there has been pressure to stop the coral harvest fishery, because commercial coral collection is perceived by some people to be an unacceptable use of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

In 2000, through its advisory body Harvest MAC (Management Advisory Committee) DPI&F requested that the CRC Reef provide a synthesis of scientific information on ecological aspects of the fishery, and whether it is ecologically sustainable. A workshop was held in November 2000, where a panel of coral experts held discussions with representatives of management agencies and industry. The recommendations of the panel and workshop were incorporated into the final report which was submitted to Harvest MAC in December 2000. The report has been published as CRC Reef Technical Report no.40:

Harriott, VJ. 2001. The sustainability of Queensland's coral harvest fishery. CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd Technical Report No 40. CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd, Townsville. 33pp.