Recreational fishers will be given a greater chance to catch a feed of WA’s iconic crayfish during next season, with the minimum size for recreationally-caught western rock lobster being reduced from 77 to 76 millimetres.

Department of Fisheries’ Senior Management Officer for Rock Lobster Graeme Baudains said Recfishwest recently approached the Minister for Fisheries, to discuss ways to boost lobster catch opportunities for the recreational sector.

“Having met with Recfishwest, the Minister has acted to change fishing regulations to allow for the reduced minimum size for the recreational sector,” Mr Baudains said.

“The minimum size is being dropped by 1 millimetre to help the State’s recreational rock lobster fishers achieve the five per cent catch allocation assigned to the sector under Integrated Fisheries Management. For commercially-fished western rock lobster the minimum size remains at 77mm.

“In recent years the recreational sector’s proportion of the total allowable catch level has been an average of 2.6 per cent.”

Mr Baudains said the Minister had also indicated he would consider more changes in the future, if needed, to further increase the recreational catch level within its overall allocation.

“Department of Fisheries’ researchers will be assessing catches over the upcoming recreational lobster fishing season, which runs from next Tuesday (15 November) to Saturday 30 June next year (2012), to see exactly what boost is provided to the catch,” he said.

“Both the Minister and the department are committed to a management framework that provides the opportunity for both the commercial and recreational sector to catch their allocated shares of the sustainable catch level.”

A licence is required for recreational rock lobster fishing. Licences and other information for Western Australia’s recreational rock lobster fishers are available from Department of Fisheries’ website at www.fish.wa.gov.au.

The size of a western rock lobster is measured from the ridge between the two spikes at the front of its head to the back of its carapace.

Details and diagrams are included in a handy new brochure that can be found at Department of Fisheries’ offices, Fisheries’ information outlets and online. Look for the Recreational Fishing Guide Rock Lobsters 2011/12 via the new rules for lobster link on the front page of the Recreational Fishing section.

 

Date: Wednesday, 9 November 2011