❓ A WA parliamentary Question on Notice regarding the Western Rock Lobster fishery, covering catch levels, management objectives, levies, closed areas, stock assessment, and fishing effort. The response provides data and explanations on these aspects.
AnsweredQoN 5213Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(5) The level of catch has always been strongly influenced by the level of puerulus settlement, which has been below average for the last six years. As it takes 3-4 years for the puerulus to reach legal size, the catch levels could not return to the long-term average level at least for the next 3-4 years. Industry is currently considering the option of formally adopting an additional management objective that would seek to optimise catch rates, rather than maximise catches. If this was adopted it is unlikely that there would be a return to long-term average catches for the foreseeable future. However, this approach would maintain breeding stock at very high levels. (6) Yes. (7) (a) Requests to impose a levy of $2 per unit was made by the Western Rock Lobster Council. No levy has been approved. (b) The requests related to employing an expert to assist the rock lobster industry to engage in the Commonwealth marine planning process and the development of industry training/promotion programs. (c) No levy was imposed. (d) No levy has been imposed. (e) No levy has been imposed or is currently under consideration. (f) No levy has been imposed or is under consideration. (8) The Department of Fisheries has monitored the abundance and size composition of Western Rock Lobster in two closed areas (gazetted in 2007) as well as adjacent fished sites at Rottnest Island for the past five years, using a combination of potting and diving. In the first 3 years there was evidence of an increase of 30-40% in the closed area compared to the fished areas. A survey in 2011 did not show any further increase. Although a CSIRO study completed in 2003/04 to examine the abundance and size composition of Western Rock Lobster in the Kingston Reef closed area found that the abundance, biomass and egg production of lobsters within the Kingston Reef zone was far higher than in adjacent equivalent areas, there are no data on the lobster abundance prior to the closure. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the impact of the closure. In both cases above, the functional significance of lobster abundance and egg-production in these closed areas relative to the remainder of the fishery, in which the breeding stock is managed to ensure sustainable levels of egg-production, is likely to be minimal. (9) The Big-Bank region has been monitored each year since 2009. The average catch rate during the annual survey increased about 3-4 fold from 2009 to 2011. (10) The western rock lobster stock assessment model incorporates all data sources and covers all areas of the Western Australian coast where substantial numbers of breeding Western Rock Lobsters are present, including areas closed to fishing. (11) Zone A: 18630 units Zone B: 14898 units Zone C: 35735 units (12) 2006/07: 491 boats 2007/08: 461 boats 2008/09: 396 boats 2009/10: 294 boats 2010/11: 282 boats (13) The number of pots able to be used in the Western Rock Lobster fishery has changed dramatically over the past few seasons and in some years, the number varied throughout the season. In the 2007/08 fishing season over 55,000 pots were able to be fished. This has declined to about 35,000 pots for the current fishing season. A better measure of effort within the fishery is given by the total number of pots lifted during the season as follows: Fishing Season Potlifts (*1000) 2006/07 8317 2007/08 8106 2008/09 4576 2009/10 2204 2010/11 2360 Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on http://www.rtlib.com
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 May 2012
Responded by
Minister for Fisheries
Response time
56 days
(1) The Department does not calculate total biomass estimates for the western rock lobster resource. Research and management focuses on maintaining the legal biomass (that is, lobsters that are not undersized, oversized females or in breeding condition) and egg production across the fishery at acceptable levels now and into the future. Inherent in this management strategy is the need to take into account expected levels of recruitment and mortality.
(2) Levels of egg production (which are representative of breeding stock) across the fishery are currently used to assess the sustainability status of the stock. Current and predicted future egg production levels are compared with a threshold reference point set at mid 1980s levels. As a result of the significant management changes introduced into the fishery since 2008/09, the egg production indices have risen in all zones of the fishery to very high levels, well above the threshold levels. This approach to assessing the status of the western rock lobster stock has been subject to independent, expert, external reviews, including those completed for the Marine Stewardship Council, which has recently recertified the fishery for another 5 years.
(3)
Fishing season
Commercial Catch (t)
2006/07
8578
2007/08
8943
2008/09
7593
2009/10
5899
2010/11
5502
(4) The ten-year average of commercial catch in the Western Rock Lobster fishery is 9289 tonnes.
(5) The level of catch has always been strongly influenced by the level of puerulus settlement, which has been below average for the last six years. As it takes 3-4 years for the puerulus to reach legal size, the catch levels could not return to the long-term average level at least for the next 3-4 years. Industry is currently considering the option of formally adopting an additional management objective that would seek to optimise catch rates, rather than maximise catches. If this was adopted it is unlikely that there would be a return to long-term average catches for the foreseeable future. However, this approach would maintain breeding stock at very high levels.
(6) Yes.
(7)
(a) Requests to impose a levy of $2 per unit was made by the Western Rock Lobster Council. No levy has been approved.
(b) The requests related to employing an expert to assist the rock lobster industry to engage in the Commonwealth marine planning process and the development of industry training/promotion programs.
(c) No levy was imposed.
(d) No levy has been imposed.
(e) No levy has been imposed or is currently under consideration.
(f) No levy has been imposed or is under consideration.
(8) The Department of Fisheries has monitored the abundance and size composition of Western Rock Lobster in two closed areas (gazetted in 2007) as well as adjacent fished sites at Rottnest Island for the past five years, using a combination of potting and diving. In the first 3 years there was evidence of an increase of 30-40% in the closed area compared to the fished areas. A survey in 2011 did not show any further increase.
Although a CSIRO study completed in 2003/04 to examine the abundance and size composition of Western Rock Lobster in the Kingston Reef closed area found that the abundance, biomass and egg production of lobsters within the Kingston Reef zone was far higher than in adjacent equivalent areas, there are no data on the lobster abundance prior to the closure. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the impact of the closure.
In both cases above, the functional significance of lobster abundance and egg-production in these closed areas relative to the remainder of the fishery, in which the breeding stock is managed to ensure sustainable levels of egg-production, is likely to be minimal.
(9) The Big-Bank region has been monitored each year since 2009. The average catch rate during the annual survey increased about 3-4 fold from 2009 to 2011.
(10) The western rock lobster stock assessment model incorporates all data sources and covers all areas of the Western Australian coast where substantial numbers of breeding Western Rock Lobsters are present, including areas closed to fishing.
(11)
Zone A: 18630 units
Zone B: 14898 units
Zone C: 35735 units
(12)
2006/07: 491 boats
2007/08: 461 boats
2008/09: 396 boats
2009/10: 294 boats
2010/11: 282 boats
(13) The number of pots able to be used in the Western Rock Lobster fishery has changed dramatically over the past few seasons and in some years, the number varied throughout the season. In the 2007/08 fishing season over 55,000 pots were able to be fished. This has declined to about 35,000 pots for the current fishing season. A better measure of effort within the fishery is given by the total number of pots lifted during the season as follows:
Fishing Season
Potlifts (*1000)
2006/07
8317
2007/08
8106
2008/09
4576
2009/10
2204
2010/11
2360
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
(2) Levels of egg production (which are representative of breeding stock) across the fishery are currently used to assess the sustainability status of the stock. Current and predicted future egg production levels are compared with a threshold reference point set at mid 1980s levels. As a result of the significant management changes introduced into the fishery since 2008/09, the egg production indices have risen in all zones of the fishery to very high levels, well above the threshold levels. This approach to assessing the status of the western rock lobster stock has been subject to independent, expert, external reviews, including those completed for the Marine Stewardship Council, which has recently recertified the fishery for another 5 years.
(3)
Fishing season
Commercial Catch (t)
2006/07
8578
2007/08
8943
2008/09
7593
2009/10
5899
2010/11
5502
(4) The ten-year average of commercial catch in the Western Rock Lobster fishery is 9289 tonnes.
(5) The level of catch has always been strongly influenced by the level of puerulus settlement, which has been below average for the last six years. As it takes 3-4 years for the puerulus to reach legal size, the catch levels could not return to the long-term average level at least for the next 3-4 years. Industry is currently considering the option of formally adopting an additional management objective that would seek to optimise catch rates, rather than maximise catches. If this was adopted it is unlikely that there would be a return to long-term average catches for the foreseeable future. However, this approach would maintain breeding stock at very high levels.
(6) Yes.
(7)
(a) Requests to impose a levy of $2 per unit was made by the Western Rock Lobster Council. No levy has been approved.
(b) The requests related to employing an expert to assist the rock lobster industry to engage in the Commonwealth marine planning process and the development of industry training/promotion programs.
(c) No levy was imposed.
(d) No levy has been imposed.
(e) No levy has been imposed or is currently under consideration.
(f) No levy has been imposed or is under consideration.
(8) The Department of Fisheries has monitored the abundance and size composition of Western Rock Lobster in two closed areas (gazetted in 2007) as well as adjacent fished sites at Rottnest Island for the past five years, using a combination of potting and diving. In the first 3 years there was evidence of an increase of 30-40% in the closed area compared to the fished areas. A survey in 2011 did not show any further increase.
Although a CSIRO study completed in 2003/04 to examine the abundance and size composition of Western Rock Lobster in the Kingston Reef closed area found that the abundance, biomass and egg production of lobsters within the Kingston Reef zone was far higher than in adjacent equivalent areas, there are no data on the lobster abundance prior to the closure. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the impact of the closure.
In both cases above, the functional significance of lobster abundance and egg-production in these closed areas relative to the remainder of the fishery, in which the breeding stock is managed to ensure sustainable levels of egg-production, is likely to be minimal.
(9) The Big-Bank region has been monitored each year since 2009. The average catch rate during the annual survey increased about 3-4 fold from 2009 to 2011.
(10) The western rock lobster stock assessment model incorporates all data sources and covers all areas of the Western Australian coast where substantial numbers of breeding Western Rock Lobsters are present, including areas closed to fishing.
(11)
Zone A: 18630 units
Zone B: 14898 units
Zone C: 35735 units
(12)
2006/07: 491 boats
2007/08: 461 boats
2008/09: 396 boats
2009/10: 294 boats
2010/11: 282 boats
(13) The number of pots able to be used in the Western Rock Lobster fishery has changed dramatically over the past few seasons and in some years, the number varied throughout the season. In the 2007/08 fishing season over 55,000 pots were able to be fished. This has declined to about 35,000 pots for the current fishing season. A better measure of effort within the fishery is given by the total number of pots lifted during the season as follows:
Fishing Season
Potlifts (*1000)
2006/07
8317
2007/08
8106
2008/09
4576
2009/10
2204
2010/11
2360
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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