{"id":"F2021L01867","name":"Northern Prawn Fishery Management (Fishing Capacity) Determination 2021","slug":"northern-prawn-fishery-management-fishing-capacity-determination-2021","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":441133,"registerId":"F2021L01867-fast-fetch-1775956519102","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Northern Prawn Fishery Management (Fishing Capacity) Determination 2021","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nNorthern Prawn Fishery Management (Fishing Capacity) Determination 2021\n\nThe Australian Fisheries Management Authority makes the following determination.\n\nDated: 21 December 2021    \n\nWez Norris\n\nChief Executive Officer,\n\nFor and on behalf of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Determination of fishing capacity\n\n \n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Northern Prawn Fishery Management (Fishing Capacity) Determination 2021.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument On the day after this instrument is registered\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made pursuant to paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Act and under subsection 7A(1) of the Management Plan.\n\n4  Definitions\n\nNote 1: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in interpretation section of the Act, including the following:\n\n(a) boat; and\n\n(b) fishing\n\nNote 2: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in interpretation section of the Management Plan, including the following:\n\n1.      gear statutory fishing right;\n2.      headrope;\n3.      Northern Prawn Fishery area; and\n4.      operational headrope.\n\n\n  \n\nIn this instrument:\n\nAct means the Fisheries Management Act 1991.\n\nManagement Plan means the Northern Prawn Fishery Management Plan 1995.\n\nOtter board means a board or plate used on a fishing net which, when the net is being towed, keeps the mouth of the net open.\n\nTwin trawl net configuration means the use of two fishing nets designed or intended to be towed simultaneously by a boat and having the mouth or opening of each net being controlled by the use of otter boards.\n\nTwin tongue trawl net configuration means the use of two fishing nets designed or intended to be towed simultaneously by a boat and having the mouth or opening of each net being controlled by otter boards and at least one bridle extending from each warp wire to the centre or ‘tongue’ of the headrope of each net.\n\nTriple trawl net configuration means the use of three fishing nets designed or intended to be towed simultaneously by a boat and having the mouth or opening of each net being controlled by the use of otter boards.\n\nQuad trawl net configuration means the use of four fishing nets designed or intended to be towed simultaneously by a boat and having the mouth or opening of each net being controlled by the use of otter boards.\n\n5  Determination of fishing capacity\n\n1.   The total length of operational headrope for a twin trawl net configuration that may be used under gear statutory fishing rights in the Northern Prawn Fishery area is 3193.11 metres. This equates to 9 cm per gear statutory fishing right.\n2.   The total length of operational headrope for a twin tongue trawl net configuration that may be used under gear statutory fishing rights in the Northern Prawn Fishery area is 2873.41 metres. This equates to 8.1 cm per gear statutory fishing right.\n3.   The total length of operational headrope for a triple trawl net configuration that may be used under gear statutory fishing rights in the Northern Prawn Fishery area is 2873.41 metres. This equates to 8.1 cm per gear statutory fishing right.\n4.   The total length of operational headrope for a quad trawl net configuration that may be used under gear statutory fishing rights in the Northern Prawn Fishery area is 2873.41 metres. This equates to 8.1 cm per gear statutory fishing right.\n\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument does not expand or reduce the Management Plan's substantive regulatory scope; it specifies quantitative capacity limits only (s5) and is made under the statutory powers cited (s3). It changes operational allowances for rights‑holders but does not alter who is regulated or the underlying statutory framework."},"complexity_factors":["Straightforward numeric limits for four configurations (s5.1–5.4): simple arithmetic but legally binding totals.","Relies on defined technical terms located in the Act and Management Plan (s4, Notes 1–2) affecting interpretation of 'operational headrope' and gear types.","Authority and legal basis are cross‑referenced to statute and plan (s3), requiring readers to consult external instruments for full context.","Enforcement and compliance require measurement and monitoring of headrope lengths at sea and ashore — an operational burden for regulators and fishers (implied by s5 limits).","Allocation expressed as metres per 'gear statutory fishing right' raises questions about aggregation, transfers or multiple rights holders that must be resolved under the Management Plan (s5)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets the maximum total ‘‘operational headrope’’ length that may be used in the Northern Prawn Fishery for four trawl configurations, and converts those totals into a per‑gear statutory fishing right allocation. It is made by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority under the Fisheries Management Act and the Northern Prawn Fishery Management Plan. The rule directly constrains fishers holding gear statutory fishing rights, changing how much net mouth (headrope) they may tow and creating a measurable compliance obligation."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument performs exactly the function described in its title: determining fishing capacity for the Northern Prawn Fishery. It sets specific quantitative limits on headrope length per gear statutory fishing right, which is precisely what paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 and subsection 7A(1) of the Management Plan authorise. There is no scope creep or expansion beyond the original statutory purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (5 sections, ~2 pages)","Only 7 defined terms in the instrument itself (relies heavily on external definitions from the parent Act and Management Plan)","Simple mathematical formula: total headrope = gear statutory fishing rights × fixed rate (9cm or 8.1cm)","No nested exceptions, conditional logic, or cross-references beyond the basic authority provisions","Single operational section (section 5) with four straightforward subsections setting out the four net configuration limits","Technical but not legally complex — requires industry knowledge to understand 'headrope' and 'otter boards' but the legal structure is plain"],"plain_english_summary":"This rule caps the total headrope length allowed in the Northern Prawn Fishery, setting different overall limits depending on whether vessels tow two to four nets and how they're rigged. Gear statutory fishing rights convert to centimetres of headrope (9 cm per right for twin trawls; 8.1 cm for other rigs), which determines each permit holder’s maximum netting.\n\nIt targets commercial prawn fishers and aims to curb over-capitalisation and protect stock by limiting fleet-wide gear capacity."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/northern-prawn-fishery-management-fishing-capacity-determination-2021","history":"/api/acts/northern-prawn-fishery-management-fishing-capacity-determination-2021/history","analysis":"/api/acts/northern-prawn-fishery-management-fishing-capacity-determination-2021/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/northern-prawn-fishery-management-fishing-capacity-determination-2021/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/northern-prawn-fishery-management-fishing-capacity-determination-2021/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/northern-prawn-fishery-management-fishing-capacity-determination-2021/documents"}}