❓ A parliamentary question raises concerns about a proposal to allow unlicensed individuals to catch undersized rock lobsters for aquaculture, questioning the management, compliance, and potential impacts on the wild lobster population and market value. The Minister's response outlines ongoing projects and considerations for sustainable management.
AnsweredQoN 1295Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Given the high level of concern in the rock lobster fishery over the Government’s proposal to allow an unlicensed person to catch 300,000 undersized rock lobster as stated in Ministerial Guideline 20, why did the Minister take five months to respond to the Zone C Professional Fisherman’s Association letter of 17 February 2006 on this issue?
(2) If the Government allows an unlicensed person to take 300,000 undersized rock lobster how will it be established that the participants have only taken the allowable number of undersized rock lobster?
(3) How will 300,000 undersized rock lobster be counted, who will count them, what will be the cost of counting them and who will pay that cost?
(4) When there are undersized rock lobster being held in tanks what is to prevent wild caught undersized rock lobster being added to the tank? What compliance program will be put in place to prevent illegally caught undersized rock lobster being added to the tanks? What will be the cost of this program and who will pay that cost?
(5) If, as is the case with prawns, the grown-out western rock lobster are inferior to wild caught western rock lobster in taste and quality, what arrangements will be put in place to ensure that there is sufficient differentiation between aquaculture and wild caught lobster to ensure that the sale of inferior lobster does not substantially reduce the value of our premium wild caught lobster?
(6) With the need to ensure secure bio-security measures -
(a) In regard to diseases that could potentially infect the wild populations of lobster, can the Parliamentary Secretary advise what disease protocols and disease reporting requirements will be placed on the participants who may be able to collect undersized lobster?
(b) Can the Parliamentary Secretary give any assurance to the wild harvest rock lobster fishery that the measures would be stringent enough to ensure that there is no spread of diseases incubated in the rock lobster aquaculture venture into the wild?
(7) Why does the Minister disagree with the Zone C Professional Fisherman’s Association view that capture of any form of western rock lobster needs to be part of the management plan for the western rock lobster fishery so as to ensure the sustainability of Australia’s most valuable fish resource?
(2) If the Government allows an unlicensed person to take 300,000 undersized rock lobster how will it be established that the participants have only taken the allowable number of undersized rock lobster?
(3) How will 300,000 undersized rock lobster be counted, who will count them, what will be the cost of counting them and who will pay that cost?
(4) When there are undersized rock lobster being held in tanks what is to prevent wild caught undersized rock lobster being added to the tank? What compliance program will be put in place to prevent illegally caught undersized rock lobster being added to the tanks? What will be the cost of this program and who will pay that cost?
(5) If, as is the case with prawns, the grown-out western rock lobster are inferior to wild caught western rock lobster in taste and quality, what arrangements will be put in place to ensure that there is sufficient differentiation between aquaculture and wild caught lobster to ensure that the sale of inferior lobster does not substantially reduce the value of our premium wild caught lobster?
(6) With the need to ensure secure bio-security measures -
(a) In regard to diseases that could potentially infect the wild populations of lobster, can the Parliamentary Secretary advise what disease protocols and disease reporting requirements will be placed on the participants who may be able to collect undersized lobster?
(b) Can the Parliamentary Secretary give any assurance to the wild harvest rock lobster fishery that the measures would be stringent enough to ensure that there is no spread of diseases incubated in the rock lobster aquaculture venture into the wild?
(7) Why does the Minister disagree with the Zone C Professional Fisherman’s Association view that capture of any form of western rock lobster needs to be part of the management plan for the western rock lobster fishery so as to ensure the sustainability of Australia’s most valuable fish resource?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
13 September 2006
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Fisheries
Response time
29 days
(b) Can the Parliamentary Secretary give any assurance to the wild harvest rock lobster fishery that the measures would be stringent enough to ensure that there is no spread of diseases incubated in the rock lobster aquaculture venture into the wild?
Although harvesting of pueruli would not be undertaken under a licence, the instrument of Ministerial Exemption, provides the power to apply conditions which will address the issues of compliance, determination of puerulus numbers, reporting and other management aspects. In 2006, I approved funding of the project Development of Discussion Paper and Management Framework for the Sustainable and Equitable Allocation of Western Rock Lobster Puerulus for Aquaculture Purposes to develop a new set of allocation and management arrangements appropriate for a commercial scale collection and growout industry. This project commenced in April and a draft discussion paper is expected to be released for public comment in early October 2006 for a period of two months. I understand the overriding principle in the discussion paper is ensure that the collection of pueruli does not impact on the sustainability of the western rock lobster resource. Secondly, commercial rock lobster fishers have an existing entitlement to sized rock lobster as per their licence holdings but not to pueruli. The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
In 2006, I approved funding of the project Development of Discussion Paper and Management Framework for the Sustainable and Equitable Allocation of Western Rock Lobster Puerulus for Aquaculture Purposes to develop a new set of allocation and management arrangements appropriate for a commercial scale collection and growout industry. This project commenced in April and a draft discussion paper is expected to be released for public comment in early October 2006 for a period of two months. I understand the overriding principle in the discussion paper is ensure that the collection of pueruli does not impact on the sustainability of the western rock lobster resource. Secondly, commercial rock lobster fishers have an existing entitlement to sized rock lobster as per their licence holdings but not to pueruli. The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
I understand the overriding principle in the discussion paper is ensure that the collection of pueruli does not impact on the sustainability of the western rock lobster resource. Secondly, commercial rock lobster fishers have an existing entitlement to sized rock lobster as per their licence holdings but not to pueruli. The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
Although harvesting of pueruli would not be undertaken under a licence, the instrument of Ministerial Exemption, provides the power to apply conditions which will address the issues of compliance, determination of puerulus numbers, reporting and other management aspects. In 2006, I approved funding of the project Development of Discussion Paper and Management Framework for the Sustainable and Equitable Allocation of Western Rock Lobster Puerulus for Aquaculture Purposes to develop a new set of allocation and management arrangements appropriate for a commercial scale collection and growout industry. This project commenced in April and a draft discussion paper is expected to be released for public comment in early October 2006 for a period of two months. I understand the overriding principle in the discussion paper is ensure that the collection of pueruli does not impact on the sustainability of the western rock lobster resource. Secondly, commercial rock lobster fishers have an existing entitlement to sized rock lobster as per their licence holdings but not to pueruli. The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
In 2006, I approved funding of the project Development of Discussion Paper and Management Framework for the Sustainable and Equitable Allocation of Western Rock Lobster Puerulus for Aquaculture Purposes to develop a new set of allocation and management arrangements appropriate for a commercial scale collection and growout industry. This project commenced in April and a draft discussion paper is expected to be released for public comment in early October 2006 for a period of two months. I understand the overriding principle in the discussion paper is ensure that the collection of pueruli does not impact on the sustainability of the western rock lobster resource. Secondly, commercial rock lobster fishers have an existing entitlement to sized rock lobster as per their licence holdings but not to pueruli. The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
I understand the overriding principle in the discussion paper is ensure that the collection of pueruli does not impact on the sustainability of the western rock lobster resource. Secondly, commercial rock lobster fishers have an existing entitlement to sized rock lobster as per their licence holdings but not to pueruli. The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
The matters of possible future access to pueruli, compensation, compliance, determination of puerulus number, disease and water quality management, prevention of laundering, market impacts, reporting and other management arrangements are given special consideration in the discussion paper being developed under the current project. Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
Compliance and management activities associated with this aquaculture sector will be funded from Consolidated Revenue, as are the activities associated with all aquaculture (non- Pinctada maxima ) sectors. With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
With respect to the response to the Zone C Professional Fishermen's Association letter of 17 February 2006, while the delay in responding was undesirable, the issues surrounding this matter are complex and all the appropriate information was considered prior to responding. At this point in time, no Ministerial Exemptions for the collection of pueruli have been granted. On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
On that matter of the necessity for puerulus harvest to be included under the West Coast Rock Lobster Management Plan 1993, I advise that all fish are the common property of the Western Australian community. Differing levels of access rights have been granted to those that fish commercially for a range of species - including for western rock lobster. It is clear that the intent of the Western Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan1993 and associated legislation is to give access, under a range of conditions, to participants of that Fishery to capture legally sized (ie. greater 76mm carapace) lobster. The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
The commercial fishers do not have ownership rights over the full range of the lifecycle of the relevant species and the take for all purposes would significantly undermine the fair and equitable sharing of fish resources among stakeholders in Western Australia, including recreational and indigenous fishers.
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