Fisheries Act 1994 (Fish Habitat Areas)
Queensland has 72 declared fish habitat areas (FHA) along its coast. These areas are declared under the Fisheries Act 1994 and protect more than 1,200,000ha of high-quality fish habitat. This network provides long-term protection from the physical impacts associated with coastal development — essential for sustaining recreational, commercial and indigenous fisheries.
The Declared FHA Network Strategy 2015–2020 sets the direction for the future of the FHA network under 3 broad initiatives — consolidate the FHA network; reinforce FHA management; and strengthen FHA policy.
Declared FHA Network Assessment Reports document the status of the declared FHA network every 5 years. Assessment criteria are based on the aims of the Declared FHA Network Strategy. The first report was published in 2012 and found that the network was generally in good condition. The second report found that in 2017 the network continued to provide effective protection to key fish habitats and had been expanded by 49,500ha.
FHA legislation is supported by operational policies for the management of FHAs, and for the selection, assessment, declaration and review of FHAs. There is also a statutory Code of Practice for pest control in FHAs.
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