The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) has been successful in increasing the ownership of the Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery by Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people to 66.18 per cent of the Australian share of the fishery.

The TSRA Chairperson, Mr Napau Pedro Stephen AM said “this is great news to achieve a significant level of ownership in a high value fishery.”

“The highest priority given by the TSRA Board to the Fisheries Programme is to progress towards 100 per cent ownership of fisheries,” Mr Stephen said.

The TSRA now holds three Transferrable Vessel Holder (TVH) licence packages, which it has made available for lease to Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal companies or individuals through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process for the 2017-2018 fishing season.

Prior to TSRA purchasing the three licences, the proposed sectoral allocation of quota units under a management plan between sectors was 56.2 per cent for the Traditional Inhabitant Boat sector and 43.8 per cent to the TVH sector.

Mr Stephen said ‘these licences can provide a valuable opportunity for Indigenous fishers or businesses to operate under different business models and structures aiming to increase their profitability because TVH licences and Traditional Inhabitant Boat (TIB) licences operate under a number of different conditions’.

Successful applicants will be offered a leasing arrangement with the TSRA for the next fishing season from 1 December 2017 to 30 September 2018.