|
 |
Southern Rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii) are harvested along the Victorian coastline. Rock lobsters are marine crustaceans and prefer to live in sheltered caves, under rocks and in crevices from close inshore to depths greater than 200 metres.
To grow the rock lobster discards it's outer shell and grows a new larger shell. This process is called moulting and occurs less as the rock lobster ages. Rock lobsters can grow to 23cm measured as carapace length, which is from the eye to the head/tail join in the middle of the animal. Large males can weigh in excess of 6kg but most lobsters sold are between 0.5kg and 2kg.
|
|
Rock Lobsters are dark red in colour. They feed mostly during the night on bottom living invertebrates including small crustaceans and molluscs. Sharks and octopus prey on rock lobsters.
A female needs to be about four years old before they are ready to breed. Depending on the size of the female they can produce up to half a million eggs. The eggs are carried on the underside of the tail, called being in-berry, until hatching. The larvae spend time floating in the plankton layer where they feed and grow until metamorphosis into transparent miniature rock lobster called puerulus. From June to August the puerulus settle on reefs and take shelter and take on adult colourings.
|
|
Commercial fishing for southern rock lobsters dates back 100 years when they were caught in baited hoop nets in shallow coastal waters. Beehive shaped pots were introduced in the 1900s and Victorian fishers expanded operations to Islands in Bass Strait and later the east coast of Tasmania. After World War II there was a rapid expansion of overseas markets for frozen tails and whole cooked lobsters. This led to a rapid development of the industry. The decline in barracouta catches and the restrictions placed on landing shark meant that many fishermen turned to full time rock lobster fishing. During the late 1980s the overseas demand for rock lobster shifted to live individuals.
A change to the management system saw the introduction of a total allowable catch in 1988. The TAC was shared equally among the divers with each licence holder allocated 20 tonnes a year. At this time the fishing zones were also redefined and management controls have remained unchanged.
|
 |
Southern rock lobsters are targeted in Victoria using beehive shaped pots . The pots were once made from tea-tree but now the favoured material is a steel frame covered with netting. The pots are baited with whole fish (pilchards or mullet) or fish heads (Australian salmon) that attract rock lobsters. The pots are usually set mid afternoon and hauled in the early the next day. The lobsters are measured as they are removed from the pot with the undersize ones being returned directly to the water. Wet-wells or tanks of seawater hold the live lobsters until the boat returns to port.
|
|
 |
The Victorian rock lobster fishery is managed through a number of controls. The first management control to be introduced was in 1958 when minimum lengths of 10.5cm (carapace length) for females and 11cm for males. Closed seasons during the breeding season for females and males were also in force. In 1968 the number of boats allowed to operate in the fishery was fixed under a system of limited entry licenses. The maximum number of pots a boat could use was set at one pot per foot of boat length plus 20 pots if they worked alone or 40 pots if they employed crew. The fishery was also divided into two zones, east of Latitude 143o30' ( Apollo Bay ) and west.
In 1982 the western zone underwent a pot entitlement reduction based on a sliding scale depending on the number of pots held. Fishers have been required to give up 5 percent of pots when transferring a licence since 1985. The closed season was extended in 1987 for females starting the first day in June to the fifteenth day in November and for males staring on the first day in September and ending on the fifteenth day in November. Escape gaps became compulsory in 1990.
|
|
Currently there are 91 licenses in the western zone with 5,388 licensed pots. The eastern zone has 70 licenses with 2000 licensed pots.
About 5000 tonnes of southern rock lobster valued at $140 million is landed in south-eastern Australia annually. Victorian fishers catch about 10 percent (500 tonnes) valuing the fishery at $17 million, beach price. Over 80 percent of the catch is taken west of Cape Otway where the fishing grounds extend out to 30 nautical miles (54km) from the shore. Portland is the major port for the fishery. Other major ports include Port Fairy , Warrnambool , Port Campbell , Apollo Bay , Queenscliff , San Remo , Port Welshpool and Lakes Entrance .
|
 |
The correct marketing name is Southern rock lobster. Other commonly referred names include rocklobster, crayfish and cray.
Rock lobsters can be processed by cooking, chilling, freezing or by adding value by keeping them alive. They are sold either whole or as tails. The majority of the catch is now exported live to Asian and European markets. Lobsters for the domestic market are sold cooked and chilled. Frozen tails are exported to the United States.
|
 |
The status of the southern rock lobster fishery in Victoria is fully fished. Catches over past years has remained some what stable while effort has increased. The Victorian rock lobster fishery is currently undergoing a review for future management arrangements. The Government has suggested changing to catch quota management controls while industry prefers input controls (restrictions on effort like number of pots).
|
