Northern Fisheries Centre

Street address: 38-40 Tingira Street, PO Box 5396, Portsmith, Cairns, QLD  4870
Postal address: PO Box 5396, Cairns ,QLD 4870
Phone: +61 7 4035 0100
Fax: Aquaculture +61 7 40356703; Fisheries +61 7 4035 1401

Background

The Northern Fisheries Centre (NFC), was first established in Cairns in 1976.  In 1979 it was relocated to a new site on Smith's Creek, Cairns.  In 2002 the centre was refurbished and a new multi-million dollar Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement Facility was constructed across the street.

The centre is a shared facility between the Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) and the Agency for Food and Fibre Sciencies (AFFS).  The centre is administered by QFS.

Research at the centre is focussed on two main areas:

• Sustainable production of wild fisheries found in tropical estuarine, inshore and offshore reef waters.
• Tropical mariculture of high value species such as coral reef fish and tropical rock lobsters.

Primary activities

AFFS fisheries and aquaculture research

• Fisheries research and development
  • stock assessment of inshore fin-fish and prawns
  • bycatch and use of Bycatch Reduction Devides (BRD's)

• Aquaculture research and development

Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS)

• Aquaculture licensing
• Extension
• Fisheries resource monitoring and assessment
• Fish Stocking
• Marine habitat management
• Industry development
• Observers for commercial fisheries