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| Rock Lobster Fishery Review - Have Your Say on How the Fishery is Managed
 Online questionnaire
 A review of the management of the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery has now commenced, and a management plan needs to be implemented before the current management plan, the Fisheries (Rock Lobster) Rules 2006 expire in February 2011. Along with the development of legislation, strategic policy will be developed and documented to help guide the broad direction and decision making for the fishery for now and into the future.
You are invited to find to comment on the issues you believe are important to the fishery by completing our online questionnaire. Please read all the information below before completing the questionnaire.
Whilst the questionnaire focuses on recreational rock lobster fishing, in mid-November wider community comment on the fishery will be undertaken with the release of a discussion paper about the strategic (broad) directions for the rock lobster fishery.
Recent fishery assessment reports for the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery by the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI) indicate concern about the trend of declining stock levels state-wide and in particular assessment areas. After the introduction of quota management for the commercial fishery in the mid 1990s, there was a decade of improving rock lobster stocks. Since 2006, there has been a continuous decline in the overall state-wide stock level of legal size lobsters and projections indicate that this trend will continue. There have also been similar trends in other lobster fisheries in Australia.
 Around 60 per cent of the state-wide recreational rock lobster catch is taken on the east and south east coast of Tasmania (area 1,2 & 3 refer map in section 2). Given the state-wide decline in rock lobster catches and the importance and the relative easy access of this region to recreational fishers, this region may warrant targeted management responses to help maintain a reasonable satisfaction level for the average recreational fisher.
The number of individuals with recreational fishing licences has doubled over the last decade, with around 20,000 individuals holding at least one type of recreational rock lobster licence. In 2008/9 this comprised of around 17,500 pot licences, 9000 dive licences and 5500 ring licences. The total recreational catch, however does not necessarily follow the same magnitude of variation as indicated by licence numbers, as individuals participate at different levels depending on individual circumstances and seasonal effects etc.
Statistically designed phone/diary surveys provide estimates of the total recreational catch every two years. The most recent survey of the recreational rock lobster fishery (2006/7 fishing season*) - indicates that around 20,000 individuals landed an estimated 135,275 lobsters or around 135 tonne was landed. This equated to around 8 per cent of the total catch allocation (commercial and recreational) for that year (1693.5 tonnes). The average recreational catch was 1.2 lobsters per fisher day.
Monitoring of recreational participation and catches will continue, and the information periodically assessed in terms of sustainability and resource sharing. The views expressed in the questionnaire, may assist in developing ways to prepare for future adjustments that spread the resource fairly amongst the recreational sector.
* This is the last published survey, a survey for the 2008/9 season is being finalised.
The spirit of recreational fishing revolves around catching your own fish. Currently the rules allow a licenced recreational rock lobster fisher to possess 10 rock lobster, or a person who is not the holder of a recreational lobster licence to possess 5 rock lobsters without a receipt. This mechanism allows some fishers to take large numbers of lobsters, leaving less lobsters available for other recreational fishers. In addition, in some circumstances this can be abused by “off loading” substantial numbers of lobsters as acts of goodwill or indeed for sale or barter**. There is some merit in continuing to allow some “gifting” and sharing of recreational catch, however it needs to be within the spirit of recreational fishing.
**The sale or barter of any recreational caught fish is illegal for both the provider and the receiver.
Generally, recreational fishers using pots have only one “shot” with their pot per day. Divers, on the other hand, have the ability to swim over greater areas of reef and continue their fishing activity which increases their potential to successfully take their daily bag limit. This is reflected in the results of the surveys that indicate recreational divers are approximately twice as successful as potters in regard to their average daily catch (2.2 versus 0.9 rock lobster respectively).
The long spined sea urchin (Centrostehpanus) is impacting some reef systems on the east coast of Tasmania by grazing on the seaweed. This then creates extensive barrens that no longer support the same numbers and diversity of fish species. This sea urchin has few native predators in Tasmania, but studies have shown that large rock lobsters (greater than 140 mm carapace length) predate on this urchin and may be successful in helping control the spread of these urchin barrens. With the prediction that these waters will continue to warm into the future, it is expected that these urchins and their associated impacts may become more and more common. The Department is considering proposals to protect large lobsters to combat the risks of extensive urchin barrens forming on the East Coast. This will be a targeted response possibly prohibiting the take of large lobsters in the area from Eddystone Point to Cape Pillar in the south. A maximum size of 130, 135, 140 or 145 mm may be considered.
Pro-active management measures need to be considered from time to time to prepare the fishery (both in terms of the stock and participants) to adapt to current and future challenges. The rock lobster review will need to consider the latest fishery assessments, the risks of the formation of urchin barrens on the east coast, and resource sharing between and within sectors. In addition the findings of the recently released report on the vulnerability of the rock lobster fishery to climate change impacts and adaptation response options need to be considered.
In December 2008, the Minister responded to the declining stock indicators mentioned in the previous section, by reducing the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for the current commercial season. Further reductions may be required. Given the stock trends for the fishery, management options may need to be considered for the recreational fishery (as well as the commercial sector).
At this stage there are no firm proposals to address these issues. We are particularly interested your views relating to the challenges raised previously and your views on possible management measures.
Fishery Assessment Report Tasmanian Rock Lobster 2007/08 Malcolm Haddon and Caleb Gardner January 2009 download at http://www.tafi.org.au/index.php/site/publications/category/rock_lobster
Pecl G, Frusher S, Gardner C, Haward M, Hobday A, Jennings S, Nursey-Bray M, Punt A, Revill H, van PuttenI (2009). The east coast Tasmanian rock lobster fishery – vulnerability to climate change impacts and adaptation response options. Report to the Department of Climate Change, Australia. Download at http://www.climatechange.gov.au/publications/index.html#impacts
Lyle, J.M. Tasmanian Recreational Rock Lobster and Abalone Fisheries – 2006/07 Fishing Season, TAFI internal Report May 2008. Results from the 2008/9 recreational rock lobster survey should be published by the end of 2009. Download from http://www.tafi.org.au/publications/0607_RLAB_FISHWISEreport.pdf
The questionnaire seeks your feedback on some of the broad issues the fishery is facing. It also is an opportunity for you to raise issues not detailed specifically within the questionnaire.
Some questions seek details about your fishing activities or attitudes to fishing. This will assist in gaining an understanding of the views and potential impacts on recreational fishers when developing future management proposals. The questions are not framed in a way to provide any statistical estimation of recreational catch.
The questionnaire is an important source of information for the Department and the respective Fishery Advisory Committees to consider when developing proposals aimed to meet the current and future challenges of the fishery.
All personal information such as your address and details about your specific fishing activities will be treated confidentially. Summary information may be published, however this information will not be attributed to any particular person.
During 2010 management proposals will be developed. Feedback from both the questionnaire and the strategic directions discussion paper will be considered before drafting and releasing a further discussion paper on proposed management options and policy by April 2010. After receiving input, the Department will then draft a new management plan (i.e rules) for the fishery, which then will undergo the statutory 60 day consultation period in the latter half of 2010. The new management plan will take effect on 1 March 2011.
During the development of management proposals the objectives of the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995, which includes principles of sustainability, fair access, economic development and the sharing of responsibility for resource management and planning between Government, the community and industry will need to be considered.
By submitting the questionnaire, you will be kept informed of future consultation periods and information forums. The preferred method is by email contact, however if you do not provide an email address, future notifications for the release of consultation papers will be sent by mail. No further general mailouts to recreational fishers will be made unless they are registered, however the Department will continue to place notifications in newspapers, and on this website. Individuals and associations may also register their details at any time in the contact details of the questionnaire.
Completed questionnaires must be received by the Department by Friday the 18 December 2009.
The questionnaire can be completed and submitted online.
 Alternatively you can download the questionnaire below in either PDF or Word format
This is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is easy to download and is free of charge.
Please compete and return:- via email to fishreview@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
- via fax to (03) 6223 1539, marked “rock lobster questionnaire”
- via mail, addressed to:
Rock Lobster Review
Wild Fisheries Management Branch
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment
GPO Box 44
HOBART TAS 7001
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