We are holding risk assessment workshops in Queensland for commercial fishers.

These free in-person workshops will provide information and guidance on lifejacket wear requirements that must now be addressed in your safety management system’s risk assessment in accordance with the revised Marine Order 504 (Certificates of operation and operation requirements - national law).

We recognise that every fishing operation is unique, as is the circumstances under which you should and shouldn’t be wearing a lifejacket, and if so, what type will be the safest option. That’s why we want to enable you to identify these as part of your risk assessment.

Each workshop will focus on a selected fishery or fisheries and consider regional factors. They will help fishers work together to determine what works best for each type of operation. Their aim is not to cover every fishery in every port, but to sample a range of different fisheries, fishing techniques, crewing arrangements, vessel types, voyage lengths and environments.

The outcomes of these workshops will be made available to other commercial vessel operators to look at when planning their own risk assessments.

Dates and location:

• Workshops complete

Past events

• Townsville, East Coast (North) Trawl, 2pm, Monday 18 December 2023
• Ayr, East Coast Net and Mud Crab, 1pm, Tuesday 14 November 2023
• Bowen, Coral Reef Line and Spanish Mackerel, 2pm, Monday 13 November 2023
• Mooloolaba, Oceanic/Spanner Crab, 2pm, Friday 3 November 2023
• Karumba, Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Net and Mud Crab, Thursday 12 October 2023
  (part of the Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishermen’s Association Annual General Meeting)
• Bundaberg, East Coast (South) Trawl, 10am, Tuesday 26 September 2023 (registration closed)
• Mooloolaba, East Coast (South) Trawl, 10am, Wednesday 27 September 2023 (registration closed)
• Thursday Island, Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster, 2pm, Wednesday 4 October 2023 (registration closed)