Fisheries research report No.157 - The western rock lobster fishery 2003/2004 and 2004/2005

Authors

Simon de Lestang, Department of Fisheries, WAFollow
E H. Barker, Department of Fisheries, Western Australia

Publication Date

6-2009

Series Number

157

Publisher

Department of Fisheries, Western Australia

City

Perth

ISBN

1 877098 88 4

ISSN

1035 - 4549

Abstract

The 2003/2004 season produced the second highest catch recorded to date (13,684 tonnes), up markedly on the previous season’s catch of 11,415 t. Nominal effort in 2003/2004 (10,180,444 pot lifts) did not vary by nearly as much as did the catch, with total pot lifts declining only slightly (<1%) on the previous season. Season 2004/2005 produced a catch of 12, 236 tonnes, down on the previous season’s catch of 13,684 t. Similar to the catch, total nominal effort in 2004/2005 (9,789,671 pot lifts) also declined fairly substantially (4%) on the previous season. Recreational catches for the above two seasons were also down on their respective previous seasons by 52 and 11% each.

Puerulus settlement coast wide during 2003/2004 was below average, especially towards the southern and northern extremes of the fishery (Port Gregory and Jurien Bay south). This was also the case during the following season (2004/2005), although the poor settlement was more evenly spread across the entire fishery. Catch predictions from these two settlement periods suggest that the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons will produce slightly below average catches.

The total value of the catch ex-vessel for the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons was approximately $260 million. This was down slightly from the previous season ($279 million during 2002/2003), and attributable to the very low beach price paid to fishermen in these two seasons ($19 and $21.50, respectively). A poor exchange rate with the US (average ~ $0.75) and a large amount of lobsters flooding onto the market were to blame for the low beach prices.

Egg production in the Southern Zone of the fishery during 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 remained at a very healthy level, down only slightly on the record level achieved in 1999/2000. The Northern Zone however saw a continued decline in egg production, towards the minimum required level (i.e. that of 1980/1981). This decline in egg production was the impetus behind the development of an options paper, released in early 2004, aimed at reducing effective effort in the fishery by 15% in Zone B and 5% in Zone C. Through consultation with industry, agreement was reached on a set of effort reduction measures, which have now been endorsed by the Minister and were implemented in the 2005/2006 fishing season.

Number of Pages

56

Keywords

Commercial fisheries, Western Rock Lobster, Monitoring

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Marine Biology | Natural Resources and Conservation | Natural Resources Management and Policy

Recommended Citation

de Lestang, S. and Barker, E. H. 2009. The western rock lobster fishery 2003/2004 to 2004/2005, Fisheries Research Report No. 157, Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, 56p.