Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery

The Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery is the second most valuable commercial fishery in Torres Strait and very important to many Torres Strait Islanders. The fishery is based on a single species, the ornate or tropical rock lobster (Panulirus ornatus).

Lobsters are taken by hand or a short hand spear by divers working from dinghies. Most divers free dive on shallow reef tops but others use hookah (surface supplied air) to dive the large areas of open bottom in Torres Strait. Most fishing occurs during neap tides when currents ease and underwater visibility improves. Commercial fishing occurs from December to September, inclusive, with a peak during March August. Traditional fishers can catch up to 3 lobsters per person or six per boat at any time of the year.

At the end of 2007 there were 26 licensed primary vessels with a total of 58 attached tenders. In addition to this there were approximately 428 Traditional Inhabitant Boat licences (TIB) with lobster endorsements. A tender process to buy non-traditional inhabitant vessels was conducted at the end of 2007 and resulted in the removal of 13 licensed primary vessels with a total of 24 attached tenders.

Condition of the fishery

In March 2000 a fishery workshop on Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster found that the stock was possibly biologically over-exploited. To address this situation a two month closure of the fishery from October to November (inclusive) was gazetted in December 2001, ie, the closure did not take effect until 2002. However, a two month extension on the hookah closure from December to January (inclusive) reduced fishing in December 2001. The minimum size limit in the commercial fishery also increased from 80 to 90mm carapace length and from 100 to 115mm tail length in December 2001. Together, the management measures were forecast to lead to a recovery of the stock to healthy levels in 3 to 9 years, provided fishing effort does not grow.

In 2007 the stock assessment found that the lobster fishery has generally met recently recommended biological reference points, which is the spawning stock size associated with maximum sustainable yield (SMSY) being allowed to escape. However, there have been four years since 1989 when this target was not met and 2006 was one of those years. The stock is considered to be fully fished.

Management objectives:

During 2005–06 the Tropical Rock Lobster Working Group recommended new management objectives which were adopted at the 19th Meeting of the PZJA as follows:

• To maintain the spawning stock at levels that meet or exceed the level required to produce the maximum sustainable yield;
• In accordance with the Torres Strait Treaty, to protect the traditional way of life and livelihood of Traditional Inhabitants, in particular in relation to their traditional fishing for Tropical Rock Lobster;
• To provide for the optimal utilisation, co-operative management with Queensland and PNG and for catch sharing to occur with PNG;
• To monitor interactions between the prawn and lobster fisheries;
• To maintain appropriate controls on fishing gear allowed in the fishery so as to minimise impacts on the environment;
• To promote economic development in the Torres Strait area with an emphasis on providing the framework for commercial opportunities for Traditional Inhabitants and to ensure that the opportunities available to all stakeholders are socially and culturally appropriate for the Torres Strait and the wider Queensland and Australian community; and,
• Optimise the value of the fishery.

Management arrangements

In the Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery, expansion in participation is limited to Traditional Inhabitants so as to maximise their opportunities.

The PZJA has imposed licensing provisions to prevent the growth of the non-Islander sector, both in terms of fishing capacity (boat replacement policy) and the containment of licence numbers. There is also a ban on trawlers taking lobster to prevent pressure on the lobster resource from the prawn trawling fleet.

In addition, interim measures to control effort were introduced and include:

1. A 30% reduction in the number of months that tenders from non-traditional inhabitants were allowed to operate for licence holders that have two or more tenders associated with a primary vessel.
2. A prohibition on the use of hookah three days before, on, and three days after either the full or new moon each month from February to September.

Management regulations

Regulations currently implemented in the Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery include:

• limiting the method of taking of lobster to either hand or with the use of a hand held implement, such as a spear or scoop net; an October-November (inclusive) ban commercial fishing;
• a further ban on the use of hookah gear during December and January (inclusive);
• a minimum tail size of 115 mm or minimum carapace length of 90 mm for all commercially caught lobsters;
• a bag limit of 3 lobsters per person or 6 lobsters per dinghy applies to traditional fishing (Islander or visiting PNG Traditional Inhabitants) (the same limit applies to recreational fishing under Queensland State law); and
• the prohibition of the processing or carrying of tropical rock lobster meat that has been removed from any part of a tropical rock lobster on any boat.

Page last updated 12 June, 2008