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Fisheries assistance

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Now open: 2025 South-east Marine Parks Network Fishing Business Assistance Grants

The 2025 South-east Marine Parks Network Fishing Business Assistance Program (SEFBA) grant round opened on 26 November 2025. Acceptance packs, including letters of offer, details on individual grant calculations and information on how to accept have been mailed directly to eligible commercial fishing authorisation holders.  

Grants can be accepted up until 9 pm AEDT on Thursday 22 January 2026. 

Eligibility and grant offers have been determined by analysis of commercial fishing catch history in areas where commercial fishing gears are no longer allowed. More information about the grant round, including details on eligibility, timing and grant calculations is available on GrantConnect and in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions.

Grant Opportunity Guidelines

SEFBA is assisting eligible commercial fishers transition to new management arrangements established by the 2025-35 South-east Marine Parks Network Management Plan.  

The Program recognises that some Tasmanian, South Australian and Commonwealth commercial fishers are directly impacted by changes to zoning in the South-east Marine Parks Network. Impacted commercial fishers are eligible for assistance if they have statutory catch records in areas of the South-east Marine Parks Network they are no longer allowed to fish and have also experienced a net loss of fishing area.  

The 2025 Program continues the approach established by the 2019 Fishing Business Assistance Program (the 2019 Program), which was consulted on with industry and delivered $9.47 million in assistance to eligible fishers who were impacted by new marine park management arrangements in 2018.

2019 Fishing Business Assistance Program

When 5 new management plans covering 44 Australian Marine Parks came into effect in 2018, an additional 2.3 million square kilometres of Australian waters became actively managed in marine parks for the first time.

The management arrangements introduced sought to balance conservation outcomes and help secure the future of Australia’s sustainable fishing and tourism industries.

The 2019 Program provided assistance to affected commercial fishers with a recent history of fishing in Australian Marine Parks as they transitioned their businesses to the new operating environment. It was part of a broader Fisheries Assistance and User Engagement Package that also provided:

  • grants to help marine users and industries engage in marine park management
  • support to encourage uptake of vessel monitoring systems.

In August 2018, the Director of National Parks consulted with the commercial fishing industry on the design of the 2019 Fishing Business Assistance Program, including by releasing a Position Paper to commercial fishing industry representatives. As a result of this consultation, the Director amended the fishing business assistance program to ensure it more effectively met industry needs. 

The 2019 Fishing Business Assistance Program was delivered through the Community Grants Hub.

Our Marine Park Grants

Our Marine Parks Grants support organisations, including fishing industry groups, to engage in the management of Australian Marine Parks.