New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Characterisation of the recreational fishery for southern rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii, in Tasmania, Australia: implications for management

Jeremy M. Lyle
Alastair J. Morton
Jane Forward^*

Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute
University of Tasmania
Private Bag 49
Hobart
TAS 7001, Australia
email: Jeremy.Lyle@utas.edu.au

^*Present address: Department of Education, GPO Box 169, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.

Abstract  Southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) support significant commercial and recreational fisheries in Tasmania, Australia. Since the mid 1990s the number of persons holding recreational lobster licences increased by over 80%, with c. 15 500 persons licensed in 2002/03. Assessment of the recreational fishery has been undertaken periodically since 1996 using a telephone-diary survey method. The fishery was concentrated off the south-east and east coasts of Tasmania and characterised by strong seasonality in catch and effort, which peaked markedly early in the fishing year (November-January). Although pots were the most popular fishing method, daily catch rates by divers were more than double those for pots. Divers selectively harvested larger lobsters than those taken by pots and more frequently attained the daily bag limit of 5 lobsters. The estimated recreational harvest increased significantly since 1996/97 and in 2002/03 effectively reached a management trigger level of 10% of the total allowable commercial catch, flagging a review of recreational management arrangements.

Keywords  southern rock lobster; Jasus edwardsii; recreational lobster fishery; recreational fishing survey; recreational-commercial fishery interactions

M04068; Online publication date 8 June 2005 Received 17 March 2004; accepted 21 July 2004
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2005, Vol. 39: 703-714
0028-8330/05/3903-0703 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005

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