A parliamentary question regarding the impact of pot restrictions on the Western Australian crayfishing industry and the timeline for easing these restrictions. The answer highlights the success of the management package in rebuilding rock lobster stocks and indicates no immediate plans to increase pot usage.

AnsweredQoN 331Legislative Assembly
Asked
26 September 2002
Portfolio
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

QuestionView source ↗

(b) how many operators have these restrictions and suspensions affected in Western Australia; (c) what effect have these restrictions had on the Western Australian Crayfishing industry as a whole; and (d) when can affected operators expect the return of suspended pots or the easing of restrictions?
(c) what effect have these restrictions had on the Western Australian Crayfishing industry as a whole; and (d) when can affected operators expect the return of suspended pots or the easing of restrictions?
(d) when can affected operators expect the return of suspended pots or the easing of restrictions?
b) There were 600 licences authorising access to the West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery for the 2001-2002 season. c) The management package has been successful in rebuilding the rock lobster breeding stock biomass to levels that are considered to be sustainable in the long term. Since the restrictions were introduced, record catches have occurred and pot values have increased. d) There is no proposal before Government to increase the usage of pots in the fishery and it is unlikely that such an increase would be supported, at least in the short term, unless an increase was supported by industry and there were compensatory adjustments to other management arrangements.
c) The management package has been successful in rebuilding the rock lobster breeding stock biomass to levels that are considered to be sustainable in the long term. Since the restrictions were introduced, record catches have occurred and pot values have increased. d) There is no proposal before Government to increase the usage of pots in the fishery and it is unlikely that such an increase would be supported, at least in the short term, unless an increase was supported by industry and there were compensatory adjustments to other management arrangements.
d) There is no proposal before Government to increase the usage of pots in the fishery and it is unlikely that such an increase would be supported, at least in the short term, unless an increase was supported by industry and there were compensatory adjustments to other management arrangements.

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
22 October 2002
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Response time
26 days
a) The reduction in the number of pots used in the West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery to which you refer was part of a comprehensive management package to address concerns about the low level of breeding stock.
b) There were 600 licences authorising access to the West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery for the 2001-2002 season.
c) The management package has been successful in rebuilding the rock lobster breeding stock biomass to levels that are considered to be sustainable in the long term. Since the restrictions were introduced, record catches have occurred and pot values have increased.
d) There is no proposal before Government to increase the usage of pots in the fishery and it is unlikely that such an increase would be supported, at least in the short term, unless an increase was supported by industry and there were compensatory adjustments to other management arrangements.

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