Commercial fishing operations are concerned about Queensland Government plans to expand a protected zone. 

The state government is looking to expand the no-fish green zone by almost 9 per cent in the Great Sandy Marine Park - a 6,000-square-kilometre marine park that stretches from Baffle Creek to Double Island Point.

The expansion would require commercial fishers to remove large gill nets and ring nets from the area.

Some have complained that it will cause a shutdown of commercial fishing in Hervey Bay, Wide Bay, Bundaberg, Tin Can Bay and Maryborough.

There are also concerns that the changes could increase the cost of seafood.

The Great Sandy Marine Park is known to contain at least 22 threatened species across 23 habitat types and two areas of international significance.

The Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES) says that it has been consulting on the plan since 2019, including speaking with local community members, First Nations peoples, councils and scientists.

It says increasing green zones by 9 per cent is the most reasonable way to secure the long-term sustainability of the park.

“I think we've already landed on a point in time where a lot of the changes would be fairly minor,” Queensland environment minister Meaghan Scanlan has told reporters.

“Although you need to let the consultation process run its course properly and we'll consider all of that feedback and then make a final decision.”

The state says it will offer financial packages to people in the seafood industry whose businesses are affected by the changes.

“We have a proposal around compensating those directly impacted, but also on some other parts of the chain that will be impacted as well,” Ms Scanlan said.

“We want to work through the details before we make a financial announcement of the package … but I can assure people there is compensation available that is fair.”

Community consultation continues until Sunday, October 23, and the government says it will release the final zoning changes as quickly as possible after the consultation process.