A further industry-supported adjustment has been made to the management settings for the commercial West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery, to keep it on target for the current season.
Western Australian Department of Fisheries CEO Stuart Smith said that, based on concerns over higher than expected catches so far this season, the Fisheries Minister had suspended commercial rock lobster fishing in the fishery’s B and C zones from Christmas Day.
“Commercial rock lobster fishing in C zone, which includes Jurien, the Metropolitan coast and South-West waters to Cape Leeuwin, re-commenced on Monday (4 January 2010), but the decision has now been made to extend the current closure in B zone, which stretches from north of Jurien to North West Cape, until 24 January,” Mr Smith said.
“This extension was recommended by the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council.
“The Department of Fisheries has put in place operational arrangements to allow B zone fishers to remove their pots from the water during the closure, if they wish, however they will not be able to keep any lobsters.”
Mr Smith said the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC) would meet this Friday (8 January) to review progress towards B and C zone catch targets for the season.
“Given the catch data that has become available recently, the Minister has asked RLIAC to provide him with advice on whether further restrictions are required for B zone or C zone to meet catch targets,” he said.
“The additional closure in the fishery is needed to achieve the goal of restricting the overall catch for this season to 5,500 tonnes, with separate catch targets for each fishing zone for the first and second halves of the season.
“When this season’s management arrangements were announced, in September last year, the Minister said there would need to be an adaptive approach to managing the fishery, to make sure that catches do not exceed acceptable levels.”
The Fisheries CEO said catches achieved so far this season, during the ‘whites’, originated from relatively good puerulus settlement, which occurred in 2005/06 – before the low to very low settlements that had occurred since.
“The aim of restricting commercial catches, in 2008/09 and in this season, is to increase lobster numbers available for coming seasons, as the impact of the low puerulus settlement years flows into the fishery,” Mr Smith said. “The B zone closure does not apply to recreational fishers.”
