Upgrading our fish aggregating devices (FADs)
by Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 18 Oct 2024 00:58 UTC
Upgrading our fish aggregating devices (FADs) © Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Fish aggregating devices (FADs) have been deployed along the Queensland coast since 2019 to enhance recreational fishing, making pelagic fish species more accessible while reducing effort on popular species such as snapper and pearl perch.
Each surface FAD is retrieved every 12 months as part of the maintenance schedule, which includes replacement of GPS tracker batteries and servicing of ground tackle (including anchors and shackles).
We continuously strive to produce better fishing outcomes for Queenslanders, and the FADs program is being reviewed to improve efficiency, consider alternative FAD designs and identify opportunities for improved design, construction and maintenance solutions.
The 12 subsurface FADs off South East Queensland and the all-water FADs off Bundaberg and Karumba will remain deployed during this review, and new surface FADs are set to be deployed in 2025.
So before your next fishing trip, visit find a FAD or check the Qld Fishing 2.0 app to see which FADs are in the water.