The study estimates the benefits and costs of the beam trawl fishery to the Queensland economy in each of four study areas. Benefits are values of catches and costs include catching costs and costs imposed on the recreational and otter trawl fisheries, through by-catch, congestion and habitat disturbance in the case of the recreational fishery, and through competition for prawn stocks in the case of the otter trawl fishery. Chapter 2 of the study provides a comprehensive review of the beam trawl fishery. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with the interactions between the beam trawl fishery and the recreational fishery. Chapter 5 models these interactions together with the interaction with the otter trawl fishery. Chapter 6 summarises the study and presents the conclusions.

Three surveys were conducted of the beam trawl and related fisheries: a survey of the recreational boat and shore fishery in areas nominated by the Project Steering Committee; a beam trawl by-catch survey; and an income, costs and returns survey of beam and otter trawl vessels. Using the results of these surveys, together with those of previous surveys, information about the prawn fisheries available in published articles and reports, and vessel logbook data, a simulation model of the beam trawl fishery and its interactions with the recreational and otter trawl fisheries was constructed. The model was used to estimate the net contribution of the beam trawl fishery to the economy in each of four study areas: Area 1 between 27°S and the NSW border,  and Areas 2, 3 and 5. The net contribution is measured as prawn revenues less all variable, annual and capital costs, and less the costs imposed by beam trawling on the recreational and otter trawl fisheries.