In short:
Fisheries Queensland has confirmed it has investigated the overharvesting of coral in the Great Barrier Reef.
asserted
it → confirm → Reef
Coral harvesters are permitted to take up to 190 tonnes from the reef annually.
asserted
harvesters → permit → reef
Fisheries Queensland does not intend to release the findings from the investigation.
asserted
Queensland → intend → investigation
Fisheries Queensland has confirmed it recently investigated an overharvesting of coral on the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, but has declined to share the outcome.
asserted
it → confirm → outcome
In the 2025-2026 fishing season the harvest of Pocillopora grandis, known as antler coral, was overfished by 30 per cent according to FishNet data.
uncertain
harvest → know → data
Coral harvesting is the process of collecting coral from the ocean.
asserted
harvesting → collect → ocean
Harvesters are permitted to take up to 190 tonnes from the reef annually, with much of this destined for the global aquarium trade.
asserted
much → permit → trade
Bright colours and interesting shapes are highly prized by 'reefers', who drive demand.
asserted
who → prize → demand
But coral catch quotas have been breached several times in recent years, while some operators have been charged with fishing offences.
asserted
operators → breach → offences
The ABC understands an internal investigation has now been completed into this year's exceeded quota.
asserted
investigation → understand → quota
When questioned by the ABC, Fisheries Queensland would not send through the information about the investigations findings.
asserted
Queensland → question → findings
Coral reef ecologist Dr Morgan Pratchett said while this particular species is not under threat, any overharvesting event is of concern.
"It sends a bad message given the overwhelming international scrutiny on how this industry is being managed," Dr Pratchett said.
asserted
Pratchett → say → scrutiny
Going over quota
There are two quotas within the coral harvesting fishery on the Great Barrier Reef, known as individual transferrable quotes (ITC) and prescribed commercial catch (PCC) quotas.
asserted
Going → go → quotes
Individual quotas are where fishers are given a set amount to fish individually.
asserted
fishers → give → amount
Breaking these quotas can result in prosecution.
asserted
Breaking → break → prosecution
PCC quotas, or competitive quotas, are where an amount is set and fishers essentially race to harvest until the quota is exhausted.
asserted
quota → set → ?
According to Fisheries Queensland, this can sometimes result in going over the competitive quota for a coral species, which they say is not "uncommon or unreasonable."
uncertain
they → accord → species
A 2024 assessment of the Queensland coral fishery noted that despite efforts to control overharvesting, some species continue to have their catch limits exceeded.
asserted
limits → note → overharvesting
It said fisheries would consider "trip limits, increased notifications, and more individual quotas if this issue continues."
asserted
issue → say → limits
At present, several Australian coral species are banned from being imported into the EU due to sustainability concerns.
asserted
species → ban → concerns
Simon Miller, from the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said he was concerned catch limits are not set at the right levels.
asserted
limits → say → levels
"So when you see fishers in a race to fish to go out there where they're competing against each other to catch these corals as quickly as possible, and seeing this overrun of quotas, that's really concerning," Mr Miller said.
asserted
Miller → see → quotas
"They're meant to be some kind of precautionary catch limit yet we keep seeing them overshoot year after year."
asserted
them → mean → year
The coral harvesting industry has faced ongoing compliance issues.
asserted
industry → face → issues
One recent case of alleged illegal coral harvesting being pursued by the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions involved coral collector Jardini.
asserted
case → allege → Jardini
The case included Jardini's director Jason Coe, who currently holds five licences in the Queensland coral fishery.
asserted
who → include → fishery
Coe has not yet entered a plea.
asserted
Coe → enter → plea
Earlier in 2024, Monsoon Aquatics lead diver and skipper Tim Green was prosecuted by Western Australia Police for offences related to the collection and recording of coral and fish while harvesting on behalf of Monsoon within the Western Australian coral fishery.
asserted
Green → prosecute → fishery
He was found guilty and fined almost a quarter of a million dollars.
asserted
He → find → dollars
ASIC documents show Tim Green continues to be a shareholder at Monsoon.
asserted
Green → show → Monsoon
Monsoon director Daniel Kimberley, who was head of the company at the time, said the organisation is dedicated to improving compliance and monitoring in the fishery and supports heavy penalties for people doing the wrong thing.
asserted
organisation → say → thing
Monsoon has received taxpayer money for reef restoration work, partnering with the government-owned Australian Institute of Marine Science.
"We were selected on our past experience with coral spawning, our aquaculture permits, and our willingness to work with the government to improve the current practices," Mr Kimberley said.
asserted
Kimberley → receive → practices
Monsoon also works with the University of Technology Sydney on reef restoration.
asserted
Monsoon → work → restoration
Fisheries Queensland said it is committed to sustainable fisheries management and works closely with industry to promote compliance and best practices.
"
asserted
it → say → compliance
Fisheries have implemented some pre-warning tools for us to warn us of that [overharvesting]," Mr Kimberley said, "but there's still improvement we can do and the fishery is committed to looking at more species that we can transfer to an ITQ."
asserted
we → implement → ITQ
Mr Miller said coral harvesters and aquarists have a role to play in scaling up reef restoration.
asserted
harvesters → say → restoration
"Moving forward, the government certainly needs to be looking at who they're partnering with to make sure that they are trustworthy and that they are the right type of partner."
asserted
they → move → partner
Mr Kimberley said when it comes to sustainability, it is important to view the coral fishery "in context".
"The vast scale of the Great Barrier Reef ensures that the footprint of the fishery is relatively small.
asserted
footprint → come → fishery
But some, like Dr Pratchett, are concerned the quotas set for corals are not sustainable.
asserted
quotas → set → corals
He said current data is "very poor", and noted added pressures from major disturbances left corals "impacted and vulnerable".
asserted
pressures → say → corals
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia