News and media

The tropical rock lobster (Kaiar) season will be open until 30 September 2025, or until available quota units have been caught.

The 2024-25 fishing season for the Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery (TRL Fishery) will commence on 1 December 2024. Key management arrangements that will apply this season are detailed here.

CSIRO will be conducting a pre-season Kaiar abundance survey over the neap tides between the 3rd and 20th November 2024.

Torres Strait beche-de-mer (BDM) fishers and fish receivers are being reminded of their requirement to report all catch on catch disposal records and return to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority within the mandated timeframe.

The Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) is notifying commercial fishers that the Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster (Kaiar) fishery closed on Monday, 30 September 2024.

Independent consultants engaged by the Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) Standing Committee have begun meeting with Torres Strait Island and Northern Peninsular Area (NPA) communities to gain their views about future arrangements for the Tropical Rock Lobster (Kaiar) quota allocation to the Traditional Inhabitant Boat (TIB) sector.

In line with the Torres Strait Fisheries (Quotas for Tropical Rock Lobster (Kaiar)) Management Plan 2018, the Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) Standing Committee has appointed a team of independent consultants to conduct a review of the future arrangements of the Tropical Rock Lobster (Kaiar) quota allocation to Traditional Inhabitants from 16 island communities as well as the Northern Peninsular Area of the Torres Strait.