Have your say on the Rock Lobster Fishery

23 December 2015

Fisheries Victoria has released the draft Rock Lobster Fishery Management Plan for public comment.

Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said the plan outlines the management direction for the next five years so that recreational, commercial, conservation and Indigenous interests have a clear framework for how this valuable resource will continue to be sustainably managed.

"Rock lobster is Victoria's second most valuable commercial fishery, behind abalone, with the bulk exported live to Asia," Mr Dowling said.

"This is the third management plan for the fishery. It maintains existing recreational and commercial fishing arrangements for catching rock lobsters, and details the process for setting the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) that can be harvested each year."

"The draft plan includes a new harvest strategy that uses commercial catch rates to determine the TACC."

Mr Dowling said the proposed harvest strategy aims to be simpler so fishers and fisheries managers can better predict and plan for future TACCs rather than waiting on yearly stock assessment modelling. 

"TACCs are pre-set and are based on harvesting an appropriately conservative proportion of the total stock in the fishery,"

"This approach ensures that rock lobster stocks continue to rebuild, catch rates rise and ultimately, long-term business viability and investment security is improved."

Written submissions on the draft plan must be received by 4 March 2016.

To learn more, or read the plan, visit www.vic.gov.au/fisheries.