Moves to cut cray catch limits
Cap plan to boost rock lobster levels
A HOBART researcher has called for further cuts to rock lobster catch limits on the East Coast to boost stock recovery.
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies rock lobster modeller Klaas Hartmann said Tasmania’s stocks had grown significantly for the first time since the catch limits were reduced from 1520 tonnes in 2007 to 1220 today.
However, the East Coast Rebuilding Strategy is aiming to increase rock lobster stocks to 20 per cent of un-fished biomass by 2023 — a level that would have existed 100 years ago. This strategy includes a catch cap set at 119 tonnes for commercials and 42 tonnes for recreationals — which was exceeded by 8.2 tonnes last season.
But Dr Hartmann said the cap needed to be cut by another 2 per cent because the area had the most depletion because of its easy access.
“The [East Coast] is a little behind, we may need to reduce the catch cap by 2 per cent, which has been discussed,” he said.
“We want to keep that upward trajectory [around Tas- mania] going with the biomass.”
Dr Hartmann said it would be difficult to drop the recreational cap because it was not directly enforced but instead managed by bag limits and season dates.
“There are low bag limits already [at two a person] and [reduction] to season dates have been done,” he said.
“It has been discussed in workshops and it’s difficult to come up with a solution.”
There are also limits on licence numbers, personal seasonal limits, gear restrictions, boat and possession limits, specific day closures, alternate size limits, changes in male and female closures or the complete banning of one sex, increased translocation, rolling spatial closures and depth restrictions.
In a government infor- mation paper from April, catch tags had been discussed as a possible way to limit catches.
It could be implemented by November next year if concerns about the enforcement of tags, improper re-use of tags and costs can be solved.
Tasmanian Association for Recreational Fishing chief Mark Nikolai said the organisation supported the rebuilding strategies in place in the area.
“TARFish will continue to participate in discussions to ensure the performance objectives of the East Coast Rock Lobster Rebuilding Strategy will be achieved,” he said.
Reducing the catch cap for commercials would be possible through monitoring quota, but Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fisherman’s Association chief John Sansom said he had seen no evidence of the need for fur- ther reductions.
“As far as I am concerned we are still on track with the stock rebuilding strategy,” he said.
A Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment spokesman said actions were implemented in consultation with the commercial and recreational fishers and the latest scientific data.
Meanwhile, the State Government’s East Coast Rock Lobster Relocation Program has moved 95,000 crayfish to the area from South West waters since 2014.
The program was established in 2014 to move 150,000 crayfish from the slower growth waters in the South to faster growth waters in the East to boost biomass. Another 42,500 will be moved in the coming months.