Season extension

Season extension

The possibility of again extending the lobster season into the winter months in the local Southern Zone has been recently been canvassed by Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven.

She has suggested an earlier start to the season as well as a later end.

“We also want to work with the industry on things like potentially earlier start of fishing seasons or quota periods, later completions of seasons [and] the provisions to carry over uncaught quota between quota periods, which increases flexibility for businesses in the fishery,” Minister Scriven told State Parliament.

“These measures to reduce the financial impacts imposed by market disruptions will all be worked through in consultation with PIRSA and industry.

“I look forward to seeing the rock lobster fishery in our state continue to produce their world-renowned, environmentally friendly, sustainably harvested product and seeing the industry rebound and recover from what have been a very tough few years.”

Minister Scriven said the lobster industry had faced difficulties with COVID-related factors and trade barriers imposed by China two years ago which had previously accounted for 95% of the catch.

“The industry highlighted the significant decline in the gross value of production, with the Northern Zone of the fishery declining from $19m in 2019-20 to $11.6m in 2020-21 and the Southern Zone declining from $106.4m in 2019-20 to $71.3m in 2020-21,” she said.

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