Officers from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority attended the Fisheries Bilateral meeting between Australia and Papua New Guinea on 28 October 2014 in Cairns.
This meeting forms part of a broader series of annual Treaty Cycle meetings in relation to the 1985 Treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea concerning sovereignty and maritime boundaries in the area of the Torres Strait.
The Treaty recognises the importance of protecting the traditional way of life and livelihoods of traditional inhabitants, including their traditional fishing and free movement in the Torres Strait Protected Zone.
A key topic that was discussed at the Fisheries Bilateral meeting was the allocation of catch sharing arrangements between Australia and Papua New Guinea for tropical rock lobster. Compliance matters in the Torres Strait Protected Zone were also discussed, reflecting the ongoing co-operation between Australia and Papua New Guinea to combat illegal fishing.