❓ Hon Jon Ford questions the Fisheries Minister on the apparent contradiction between acceptable rock lobster stock levels and continued low puerulus counts. The Minister clarifies that 'acceptable' refers to breeding stock levels, which were above threshold, and acknowledges environmental factors impact juvenile recruitment.
AnsweredQoN 1256Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ROCK LOBSTER FISHERY — PUERULUS COUNTS
I refer the minister to page 18 of the “State of the Fisheries Report 2008-09”, which states that the stock level for the west coast rock lobster fishery is acceptable. I refer the minister also to the response to question without notice 1217 regarding puerulus counts. How does the department reconcile the use of the term “acceptable” with continued record low puerulus counts? Hon NORMAN MOORE
I refer the minister to page 18 of the “State of the Fisheries Report 2008-09”, which states that the stock level for the west coast rock lobster fishery is acceptable. I refer the minister also to the response to question without notice 1217 regarding puerulus counts. How does the department reconcile the use of the term “acceptable” with continued record low puerulus counts? Hon NORMAN MOORE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The stock level referred to in the “State of the Fisheries Report” is the breeding stock level. The assessment of breeding stock levels for the western rock lobster is completed every year by examining the egg production levels in each zone against the threshold values. The egg production levels in 2007-08 were calculated at being above the threshold levels in all zones; therefore, the overall stock level was considered to be acceptable. It needs to be understood that the level of recruitment of juveniles to all fisheries is not only a function of the breeding stock, but also it is greatly affected by environmental conditions and other factors. The puerulus settlement levels for rock lobster have varied greatly over the years. Until very recently, these variations were largely explained just by the strength of the Leeuwin current and westerly winds. Current research is attempting to understand the cause of the recent very low settlements. The management package that I announced earlier this year was designed to maintain the breeding stock levels in each zone at acceptable levels recognising that there will be a lower number of individuals available to enter the breeding stock as a result of the low recruitment years. A risk assessment workshop, as outlined on page 20 of the “State of the Fisheries Report”, identified that in the extreme northern section of the fishery—north of the Abrolhos Islands-Big Bank—there may have been localised depletion of the breeding stock. This was the basis for taking precautionary management actions by closing this region to rock lobster fishing, which I announced early this year.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The stock level referred to in the “State of the Fisheries Report” is the breeding stock level. The assessment of breeding stock levels for the western rock lobster is completed every year by examining the egg production levels in each zone against the threshold values. The egg production levels in 2007-08 were calculated at being above the threshold levels in all zones; therefore, the overall stock level was considered to be acceptable. It needs to be understood that the level of recruitment of juveniles to all fisheries is not only a function of the breeding stock, but also it is greatly affected by environmental conditions and other factors. The puerulus settlement levels for rock lobster have varied greatly over the years. Until very recently, these variations were largely explained just by the strength of the Leeuwin current and westerly winds. Current research is attempting to understand the cause of the recent very low settlements. The management package that I announced earlier this year was designed to maintain the breeding stock levels in each zone at acceptable levels recognising that there will be a lower number of individuals available to enter the breeding stock as a result of the low recruitment years. A risk assessment workshop, as outlined on page 20 of the “State of the Fisheries Report”, identified that in the extreme northern section of the fishery—north of the Abrolhos Islands-Big Bank—there may have been localised depletion of the breeding stock. This was the basis for taking precautionary management actions by closing this region to rock lobster fishing, which I announced early this year.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The stock level referred to in the “State of the Fisheries Report” is the breeding stock level. The assessment of breeding stock levels for the western rock lobster is completed every year by examining the egg production levels in each zone against the threshold values. The egg production levels in 2007-08 were calculated at being above the threshold levels in all zones; therefore, the overall stock level was considered to be acceptable. It needs to be understood that the level of recruitment of juveniles to all fisheries is not only a function of the breeding stock, but also it is greatly affected by environmental conditions and other factors. The puerulus settlement levels for rock lobster have varied greatly over the years. Until very recently, these variations were largely explained just by the strength of the Leeuwin current and westerly winds. Current research is attempting to understand the cause of the recent very low settlements. The management package that I announced earlier this year was designed to maintain the breeding stock levels in each zone at acceptable levels recognising that there will be a lower number of individuals available to enter the breeding stock as a result of the low recruitment years. A risk assessment workshop, as outlined on page 20 of the “State of the Fisheries Report”, identified that in the extreme northern section of the fishery—north of the Abrolhos Islands-Big Bank—there may have been localised depletion of the breeding stock. This was the basis for taking precautionary management actions by closing this region to rock lobster fishing, which I announced early this year.
The management package that I announced earlier this year was designed to maintain the breeding stock levels in each zone at acceptable levels recognising that there will be a lower number of individuals available to enter the breeding stock as a result of the low recruitment years. A risk assessment workshop, as outlined on page 20 of the “State of the Fisheries Report”, identified that in the extreme northern section of the fishery—north of the Abrolhos Islands-Big Bank—there may have been localised depletion of the breeding stock. This was the basis for taking precautionary management actions by closing this region to rock lobster fishing, which I announced early this year.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The stock level referred to in the “State of the Fisheries Report” is the breeding stock level. The assessment of breeding stock levels for the western rock lobster is completed every year by examining the egg production levels in each zone against the threshold values. The egg production levels in 2007-08 were calculated at being above the threshold levels in all zones; therefore, the overall stock level was considered to be acceptable. It needs to be understood that the level of recruitment of juveniles to all fisheries is not only a function of the breeding stock, but also it is greatly affected by environmental conditions and other factors. The puerulus settlement levels for rock lobster have varied greatly over the years. Until very recently, these variations were largely explained just by the strength of the Leeuwin current and westerly winds. Current research is attempting to understand the cause of the recent very low settlements. The management package that I announced earlier this year was designed to maintain the breeding stock levels in each zone at acceptable levels recognising that there will be a lower number of individuals available to enter the breeding stock as a result of the low recruitment years. A risk assessment workshop, as outlined on page 20 of the “State of the Fisheries Report”, identified that in the extreme northern section of the fishery—north of the Abrolhos Islands-Big Bank—there may have been localised depletion of the breeding stock. This was the basis for taking precautionary management actions by closing this region to rock lobster fishing, which I announced early this year.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The stock level referred to in the “State of the Fisheries Report” is the breeding stock level. The assessment of breeding stock levels for the western rock lobster is completed every year by examining the egg production levels in each zone against the threshold values. The egg production levels in 2007-08 were calculated at being above the threshold levels in all zones; therefore, the overall stock level was considered to be acceptable. It needs to be understood that the level of recruitment of juveniles to all fisheries is not only a function of the breeding stock, but also it is greatly affected by environmental conditions and other factors. The puerulus settlement levels for rock lobster have varied greatly over the years. Until very recently, these variations were largely explained just by the strength of the Leeuwin current and westerly winds. Current research is attempting to understand the cause of the recent very low settlements. The management package that I announced earlier this year was designed to maintain the breeding stock levels in each zone at acceptable levels recognising that there will be a lower number of individuals available to enter the breeding stock as a result of the low recruitment years. A risk assessment workshop, as outlined on page 20 of the “State of the Fisheries Report”, identified that in the extreme northern section of the fishery—north of the Abrolhos Islands-Big Bank—there may have been localised depletion of the breeding stock. This was the basis for taking precautionary management actions by closing this region to rock lobster fishing, which I announced early this year.
The management package that I announced earlier this year was designed to maintain the breeding stock levels in each zone at acceptable levels recognising that there will be a lower number of individuals available to enter the breeding stock as a result of the low recruitment years. A risk assessment workshop, as outlined on page 20 of the “State of the Fisheries Report”, identified that in the extreme northern section of the fishery—north of the Abrolhos Islands-Big Bank—there may have been localised depletion of the breeding stock. This was the basis for taking precautionary management actions by closing this region to rock lobster fishing, which I announced early this year.
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