Meet the fishers
Meet the Western Australia rock lobster fishers
The Western Australia rock lobster fishery is the most valuable single-species fishery in Australia, representing about 20 percent of the total value of Australia’s fisheries. Its sales generate 300 to 400 million Australian dollars annually in export to markets including Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, China, the United States and new markets that have opened up in Europe.
The fishers target lobsters with baited pots on the coast of Western Australia from Cape Leeuwin to Shark Bay.
Data on the fishery has been kept since the 1960s and enables fisheries scientists to predict catches accurately and ensure that controls are adequate to keep the fishery operating at sustainable levels. Commercial fishers, processors and the Western Australian government work closely together to preserve the fishery’s future.The fishery has strict guidelines including seasonal closures, minimum size requirements and a ban on catching breeding females.
"The Western Australia rock lobster fishery not only provides significant social and economic benefits to the State, it has again been confirmed that we use the world’s best practice in managing the fishery in a sustainable way...I not only applaud the Department of Fisheries for managing the sustainability of this fishery, but also the fishers themselves, who deserve a pat on the back for their commitment to the fishery’s long-term health and productivity."
Jon Ford
Australia Fisheries Minister
For further information, please visit the Western Rock Lobster Development Association.
