Rock Lobster transcript

[Title: Tagging Rock Lobsters]

[Vision: Rock Lobsters under water – rock lobster being tagged]

Rod Barber - Fisheries Victoria

From the first of July 2017 all recreational fishers in Victoria will be required to tag all rock lobsters they harvest.

[Vision: Lobster being caught under water - Rod Barber speaking]

This will help quantify the overall take of lobsters by the recreational sector, contribute to the sustainable management of stocks and ensure we have a fantastic lobster fishery in the years ahead.

[Vision: Divers holding Rock Lobsters – diver under water with lobster]

Tags will be free and available online as part of this 3 year trial.

[Vision: Envelope with tags - Tags being attached to lobster – reporting details online]

This video provides a step by step guide as to what's involved in the ordering of tags, how and when to attach them and reporting their use back to fisheries.

[Vision: Ordering tags - Rod Barber]

Ordering tags is simple; you can download the app from the App Store or Google Play, or jump online and visit this address.

[Vision: underwater - www.vic.gov.au/lobstertag- create and account example – Rod Barber ]

Create an account, enter your details, make sure your delivery address is correct and order the number of tags you need. You can order up to 20 tags.

[Vision: Envelope inside letterbox]

They'll be posted to your nominated delivery address free of charge.

[Vision: Rod Barber – Car towing boat – Rod Barber]

Delivery will take between 5 and 7 business days from when you place an order. If you're going on holidays you can get in, change your delivery address to make sure you'll have enough tags.

[Vision: Tags on envelope – dive gear – Rod Barber]

When your tags arrive add them to your dive gear so they're ready to use. We want to encourage people to be organised and prepared with tags so they can get in the water whenever the weather's right.

[Vision: Using your tags - divers holding Rock Lobsters – Rod Barber]

The requirement to tail punch rock lobsters still remains unchanged, as do the size limits, bag limits and possession limits.

[Vision: Divers catching lobster – diver on boat – Rod Barber]

If you catch lobsters from a boat, tags must be attached within 5 minutes or returning to the vessel.

[Vision: Lobster caught under water – Rod Barber]

If you're returning from a shore dive, tags must be attached within 5 minutes of landing and within 50 metres of where you leave the water.

[Vision: Tag being attached to lobster]

Attaching tags is easy; they're just like a zip tie.

[Vision: Transferring tags - Rod Barber – website vision – Rod Barber]

We want to make sure everyone can go fishing and take home some crays. You can transfer some of your tags to your friends or family, as long as they've got a tag account. Simply do the transfer on your phone or computer before you head out fishing.

[Vision: Reporting tag use - lobster being caught under water – Rod Barber - Tags]

To make sure we have an accurate estimate of the total lobster harvest by recreational fishers we need people to report the use of their tags.

[Vision: Rod Barber]

To make it easy we've created a straightforward process, you can do through the app, on your smart phone or tablet, or on your computer.

[Vision: Website]

Just log in, go to report tag, select the tag you've used from the list and enter a few details about your catch. The date, the area you caught the cray and the length of the cray's carapace. That's it.

[Vision: Rod Barber]

We really want to encourage divers to get into the habit of reporting their tags as soon as possible, especially if you're cooking the cray, or giving it away to friends or family. If you're getting low on tags, just order more.

[Vision: Tagged Lobster]

You can have 20 at any one time, and top up as you report.

[Vision: Rod Barber]

If we all do our bit the new requirements to tag rock lobsters will help fill an information gap about overall recreational harvest. That's important for us as managers of the resource and important for you as fishers and absolutely vital to the long term sustainability of stocks.

[Vision: Diver catching Lobster – VICTORIA State Government]