Have your say about the State’s Lobster Fishery

Commercial lobster fishers and the broader community in NSW are today being encouraged to comment on a draft strategy for the future of the fishery, which will be released on Saturday 4 December.

The Draft Fisheries Management Strategy and an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the lobster fishery will help ensure that it is environmentally sustainable and can continue to support hundreds of jobs along the coast.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Director of Fisheries Management, Dr Nick Rayns, said the draft management strategy was a major step forward for the commercial lobster fishery, which operates from ports along the entire NSW coastline.

"This draft strategy contains a range of proposals aimed at developing a more secure, profitable and sustainable industry," Dr Rayns said.

"The draft strategy and EIS have been carefully prepared following extensive consultation with lobster fishers, industry representatives and other stakeholder groups.

"It's now up to the community to have its say about the proposed changes and the issues arising from the EIS.

"As part of the consultation process, a full copy of the EIS is being sent to NSW lobster fishers."

"About 330 people are directly employed within the lobster fishery and it supports an additional 160 jobs in related business, including fuel, ice, fishing gear, vessel maintenance, fish handling and transport.

"We need to ensure we continue to support this important regional industry in a way that also protects our valuable marine environment.

"I would encourage anyone with an interest in the lobster fishery to read the draft strategy, and the associated Environmental Impact Statement."

The draft strategy provides for the continuation of a number of existing management arrangements to ensure that lobster stocks continue to be harvested in a sustainable way, including a rigorous stock assessment system, quota allocation and trading, lobster size limits, and compliance measures.

The new initiatives for the lobster fishery include:

  • Mapping major lobster fishing grounds and assessing the level of lobster fishing on each ground, with a view to proactively managing gear interactions between lobster fishing and other commercial fisheries.
  • Developing a list of other species that can be retained by lobster fishers and appropriate monitoring of these species.
  • Introducing arrangements to assist fishers to report lost traps and any interactions between the fishery and threatened or protected marine species.
  • Developing a code of practice in consultation with the Lobster Management Advisory Committee to promote the use of 'best practice' techniques.
  • Developing a means of more accurately assessing the economic viability of fishing businesses, in consultation with industry
  • Promoting post-harvest practices that maximise the economic returns to industry.

Dr Rayns said the lobster fishery provides over 100 tonnes of eastern rock lobsters each year valued at approximately $4.5 million at first point of sale.

"The NSW Lobster Fishery is the only commercial fishery in Australia that targets eastern rock lobster, because the species' range and abundance is limited in other states.

"Most of the commercial lobster catch is caught using baited traps, with a small proportion taken by divers hand picking lobsters without the use of underwater breathing apparatus.

"The NSW lobster fishery is a specialised fishery that supplies premier fresh local seafood to the Sydney Fish Market, and also supplies regional fish processing and export facilities.

The EIS will be on public display from 4 December 2004 to 4 February 2005 and available for inspection at all previous coastal NSW Fisheries offices, now incorporated within the NSW Department of Primary Industries and on the Department's website: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Send written submissions to: Lobster Fishery EIS

NSW Department of Primary Industries
PO Box 21
Cronulla NSW 2230

Submissions can also be faxed to (02) 9527-8576 (Attn: Lobster Fishery EIS) or emailed to: lobster.eis@fisheries.nsw.gov.au

The closing date for submissions is Friday, 4 February, 2005.

MEDIA CONTACT: KRISTINA RESANCEFF - (02) 8289 3926 or 0419 185 375