The northern prawn trawling industry is among commercial fisheries targeted by a Federal Government rescue package announced last week.

The $220 million Securing our Fishing Future package is intended to rescue several commercial fisheries at risk of collapse, or that might be at risk in the near future.

Federal Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said: "It is a fact, well accepted by the industry, that there are too many boats chasing too few fish in many of our fisheries."

The centrepiece of the package is $150 million for a one-off, capped fishing buyout focused on reducing fishing capacity in federal fisheries subject to over-fishing, or those that are at significant risk of over-fishing in the future.

A further $70m in complementary assistance is available for other activities including:

*$30 million to offset the impacts of reduced fishing activity on onshore businesses most directly linked to the fishing industry (e.g. fish processors, ships chandlers) as well as other targeted assistance including;
*grants of $5000 and $3000 respectively to skippers and crew who lose employment as a result of the catch cuts to offset the costs of job seeking, relocation and retraining;
*$1500 per fishing or directly related business to offset the costs of obtaining professional business advice on their best options under the package;
*$20 million to establish a Fishing Communities Program aimed at generating new economic and employment opportunities in vulnerable regional ports affected by reduced fishing activity;
*$21 million to offset the cost of AFMA management levies and for improved science, compliance and data collection.
"We recognise that, in the current economic climate, many Commonwealth fisheries are incapable of self adjusting,'' Mr Macdonald said.

Commonwealth fisheries are generally those occurring between three and 200 nautical miles off the Australian coastline.

The Northern Prawn Trawl fishery primarily targets banana and tiger prawns. It has a huge bycatch of unwanted fish and other marine animals.

"The Federal Government is concerned about the excess fishing capacity and future profitability of the Northern Prawn Fishery,'' Mr Macdonald said.

Other fisheries targeted include the Southern and Eastern Shark and Scalefish (SESS) Fishery, the East Coast Tuna and Billfish Fishery and the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery.

The federal rescue package comes after a Territory Government crackdown on the NT's commercial mud crab industry, after catches plummeted following years of record hauls.