Fisheries Minister Norman Moore today confirmed the West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery will operate under a quota system when the season begins in mid-November.
Mr Moore said the Department of Fisheries had worked closely with the WA Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) to thrash out the details of implementing a quota system in time for the 2010-11 season.
This followed approaches from the industry to establish a quota-based system.
“The quota system will reduce the need for the State Government to micro-manage the rock lobster fishery within a season and help improve the economic return for commercial fishers,” the Minister said.
“There will be minimal change to the existing rules of this first season, but one important change is that the next season will be extended by two months, to run from November 15 this year to August 31 in 2011 for all zones.
“Further season extensions are expected in future, so that fishing can conclude during the ‘whites’ run in January each year.
“These changes give fishers more flexibility in deciding when to take their catch, within their individual allocation for the season.
“In the longer term the existing rules will relax so fishers can gain even more flexibility under the new quota system.”
Mr Moore said the total allowable catch for the 2010-11 commercial fishing season would remain the same as last season - 5,500 tonnes.
“Quotas for individual operators will be based on entitlement to use pots held by those fishers and the relevant share of the total allowable catch set for the various zones, where the fishers are licensed to operate,” he said.
In C Zone - which includes Jurien, the metropolitan coast and South-West waters to Cape Leeuwin - the total allowable catch (TAC) will be 2,687 tonnes.
For B Zone - stretching north of Jurien to North West Cape - fishers will have a quota of 1,196 tonnes up to March 14 and a further 672 tonnes for the remainder of the season. The A Zone fishery near the Abrolhos Islands will have a TAC of 945 tonnes, when commercial rock lobster fishing opens there from March 14.
The Minister said the pot usage rate would be set at 0.5 per unit, which enabled a fisher with 100 units of entitlement to use 50 pots.
“Initially, a paper-based monitoring system will be used to keep track of the season’s harvest, with fishers and processors reporting on the catch taken,” he said.
“WA fishers are working through a very difficult period, where record low recruitment in the West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery is limiting the total allowable catch.
“We need to work closely with stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability and economic viability of the fishery.
“I am confident the move to quota will assist the industry to optimise the economic value of its available catch, during the low recruitment period and when the fishery bounces back.
“The Department of Fisheries will continue to provide more information and consultation for the industry, as the new management arrangements are introduced.
“These changes only relate to the commercial sector. The recreational rock lobster fishing season will continue to run from November 15 to June 30.”
Wednesday 16th June
9:30 to start at 10:00am
Fitzgerald Hall Chapman Rd Bluff Point (Geraldton)
This workshop is to look at the ITQ model proposed for 2010 - 2011 season. As B zone was still fishing on the 11th June it was inappropriate for the PFA's to be able to put forward a submission by 11th June. It is hoped that this will allow fishers to have input into the proposal at the workshop. This is open to all fishers please try to read the paper before you come.
Hi can anyone enlighten me on what was consulted on at the two meetings held by the WRLC in regard to ''quota''.
The Ministers office has stated that it wanted fishers to give feedback on the nuts and bolts of the forthcoming quota implementation, however apparently what happened at the meetings was nothing to do with any proposed quota proposal as the WRLC ''consultation process'' didnt wait until the Department had anything ready for them to present..a case of two weeks apparently.
Commercial rock lobster fishing in Western Australia's A zone fishery around the Abrolhos Islands has been closed in a bid to preserve the fishery for the future.
The move follows last week's announcement of the closure of C zone - which stretches from Augusta to Leeman, south of Geraldton.
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said that A zone fishers, like their C zone counterparts, had reached their total allowable catch for the 2009-10 fishing season, due to close on June 30.
“There had been a total allowable catch of 1,045 tonnes for A zone fishers,” the Minister said.
“This limit was reached early this week triggering my decision to close the fishery to ensure the protection of the State's valuable rock lobster stocks.”
The decision to close the season almost two months early was consistent with warnings made at the start of the season.
“I made it clear to industry that the total 5,500 tonne catch allocation for the three fishing zones would be closely monitored and I would close any, or all, of the three individual fishing zones when they reached their allowable catch limits,” Mr Moore said.
“All the scientific evidence provided to me shows that WA's rock lobster fishery is under extreme pressure and in danger of collapse unless it is properly managed.”
The A zone closure will officially take effect from Monday, May 17 - meaning the last day fishers can legally land their catches is Thursday, May 13.
New management arrangements for the State's rock lobster fishery were announced in September 2009.
A core component was an overall catch target of 5,500 tonnes with lower and upper catch limits of 4,950 tonnes and 6,050 tonnes respectively.
To optimise economic benefits and address equity issues, catch targets and limits were set for each zone for the first and second halves of the season.
“These targets and limits were provided to all rock lobster licensees and processors at the start of the season and the Department of Fisheries has published weekly updates of the cumulative catch for each zone,” the Minister said.
“It is expected that B zone fishers, who operate from north of Jurien to North West Cape, will reach their total allowable catch sometime in the next fortnight.
“I will take similar action to close the B zone when it reaches its limit.”
I used to wake every morning excited to go to work.Then along came Norman and squashed my dreams almost sent me bankrupt and gave me grey hair.For that I thank you Norman oops sorry I really meant F--- YOU NORMAN YOU C----.
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