We have completed fish resource sharing assessments for western rock lobster and Perth metropolitan Roe’s abalone fisheries.
In March 2008 the Minister for Fisheries determined that 95 per cent of the total allowable catch for the western rock lobster resource would be allocated to the commercial sector, 5 per cent to the recreational sector and one tonne to customary fishers.
The 2009/10 season was the first season when these shares formally applied and the recreational sector caught 4.0 per cent of the catch.
Following an examination of the Perth metropolitan Roe‘s abalone fishery by the Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee, a total allowable recreational catch of 40 tonnes was introduced for the West Coast Zone in January 2009. The commercial sector has a total allowable catch of 36 tonnes. Five hundred kilograms was allocated to the customary sector.
Management of the recreational catch will involve monitoring the five-year moving average of the estimated catch, with adjustments to fishing rules, such as changes to the number of days and daily catch limits, to ensure the 40 tonne catch limit, or the 5 per cent allocated share, is maintained.
An assessment is currently underway for the West Coast demersal scalefish fishery. Two fisheries management papers were released in July 2010 on this fishery (see Related Information).
We expect to take about 10 years to assess the majority of the State’s shared fisheries using the Integrated Fisheries Management process.