Publication Date

6-2000

Series Number

122

Publisher

Fisheries Western Australia

City

Perth

ISBN

0 7309 8440 0

ISSN

1035 - 4549

Abstract

Information on the catch, effort and fishing characteristics of recreational rock lobster fishers has been collected in Western Australia (WA) since 1986, by an annual mail survey of a randomly selected sample of rock lobster licence holders. Over the period 1986-1999, the number of licensed recreational rock lobster fishers in WA has approximately doubled, from 15,249 (1987/88) to 32,768 (1998/99), and the estimated catch has nearly tripled, from 219 tonnes (1987/88) to 626 tonnes (1998/99). These estimates have not attempted to take into account illegal catches.

Of those who do fish, approximately 65% of recreational rock lobster licence holders exclusively use pots, 28% exclusively dive, 6% both dive and use pots and fewer than 1% use other methods to catch lobsters. Approximately 25% of rock lobster licence holders do not utilise their licences.

The mean number of rock lobsters caught per fisher per day varied from season to season, depending on the recruitment into the fishery in any particular year. Daily individual catches depend on whether potting or diving is the fishing method used. Pot fishers (1.0-1.5 rock lobsters per day) were consistently less successful at catching rock lobsters than divers (1.5-2.2 lobsters per day). Pot fishers were more active, fishing for approximately 30 days per year, compared with divers, who fish for an average of approximately 12 days per year.

The 1999 mail survey of recreational rock lobster fishers was broader in content than the surveys conducted in other years and allowed a more in-depth analysis than has previously been possible. It showed that 44% of rock lobster licence holders live in the Perth metropolitan area. High numbers of licence holders were also recorded as being resident in centres close to, but outside of, the metropolitan area, as well as in the cities of Geraldton, Bunbury and Mandurah. By comparison, the distribution of centres where licence holders fished was dispersed between Busselton and Kalbarri, with Rottnest Island, the greater Perth metropolitan area, Jurien Bay and Geraldton regions being the most favoured recreational lobster fishing centres.

Pot and diver rock lobster fishers tend to fish in similar depths, with 60% of the diving and potting done in depths of less than 10 m. Less than 5% of time was spent in depths over 20 m. Comparisons of the estimated commercial and recreational rock lobster landings have been made for different regions. The result is very variable from year to year and region to region, however, the important Perth metropolitan and Rottnest Island areas are shown to have a recreational catch approximating 25% of the commercial catch in those areas. This increases to around 70% when catch comparisons between the commercial and recreational sectors are made for depths shallower than 10 fathoms (18 m). Overall, the total catch made by recreational lobster fishers in the 1998/99 season is estimated to be approximately 5% of the commercial catch.

The 1999 survey questioned fishers on details relating to their age, years of fishing experience, boat ownership, ownership of electronic and other fishing aids, type of pot used and more. The majority of respondents (90%) were male. Pot fishers (average age 46 years) generally tended to be older than divers (average age 36 years). Most fishers (93%) either owned or had access to boats, which were generally in the size range of 3-6 m. Ownership of echo sounders was high (nearly 40% owned black and white and around 15% owned colour echo sounders), as was ownership of GPS (approximately 30% of respondents owned GPS). These data will form baseline information for tracking future changes in the demographic composition of recreational rock lobster fishers and their efficiency using various fishing aids.

Number of Pages

39

Keywords

Licensed recreational fishers, Western Rock Lobster, Mail, Fishing, Fishing licences

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Business Administration, Management, and Operations

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