Commonwealth Numbered Acts

TORRES STRAIT FISHERIES ACT 1984 NO. 23 OF 1984 - SECT. 15.

15. (1) The Governor-General may, by Proclamation, declare an area of waters
specified in the Proclamation that is adjacent to the Protected Zone and to
the south of the line described in Annex 5 to the Torres Strait Treaty to be
an area outside but near the Protected Zone for the purposes of the
performance, in the course of commercial fishing, of any activity that is
included in a class of activities by way of commercial fishing specified in
the Proclamation.

(2) The Governor-General may, if he is satisfied that traditional inhabitants
who are citizens of Papua New Guinea had, before the entry into force of the
Torres Strait Treaty, customarily engaged in traditional fishing in an area of
waters adjacent to the Protected Zone and to the south of the line described
in Annex 5 to the Torres Strait Treaty, by Proclamation, declare that area to
be an area in the vicinity of the Protected Zone for the purposes of this Act.

(3) The Governor-General shall not make a Proclamation under sub-section (1)
or (2) in relation to an area that is wholly or partly within the coastal
waters of Queensland unless the Governor-General is satisfied that the
Minister and the Queensland Minister have agreed that the Proclamation be made
in relation to that area.

(4) In sub-section (3)-

''coastal waters of Queensland'' means-

   (a)  the parts of the territorial sea of Australia that are adjacent to
        Queensland, other than any part referred to in sub-section 4 (2); and

   (b)  any marine or tidal waters that are on the landward side of any part
        of the territorial sea of Australia referred to in paragraph (a) but
        are not within the limits of Queensland;

''Queensland Minister'' has the same meaning as in Part V.