Ministerial advice and processesRLIAC and its Stakeholders Contacting RLIACCoastal Tour DocumentsRLIAC Newsletter

The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee

Ministerial advice and processes

The Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) makes provision, under Part 4, for the establishment of Advisory Committees to assist the Minister for Fisheries in the task of managing the State's fish resources. The relevant advisory committee for the western rock lobster fishery is the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC).

The RLIAC was established to:

• identify issues that affect rock lobster fishing;
• advise the Minister on the management, protection and development of rock lobster fisheries; and
• respond to Ministerial requests for advice on rock lobster fisheries issues.

RLIAC is one of three statutory advisory committees established under the FRMA. As a statutory committee, the FRMA specifically and explicitly establishes the composition of RLIAC (including who chairs meetings) and its functions, constitution and proceedings.

Section 29 of the FRMA specifies that there are 14 membership positions on RLIAC, comprising of an independent chairperson, the Executive Director of the Department of Fisheries, commercial rock lobster fishers, a recreational rock lobster fisher and processing/marketers of rock lobster.

In addition to the formal membership, RLIAC has a number of permanent observers who participate in the process at the direction of the Chairperson. Representatives from the Conservation Council of Western Australia and the Western Rock Lobster Council are permanent observers, while a senior member of the Minister's staff also attends meetings.

Section 30 of the FRMA states that:

“(1) The functions of the Advisory Committee [RLIAC] are:

• to identify issues that affect rock lobster fishing;
• to advise the Minister on matters relating to the management, protection and development of rock lobster fisheries; and
• to advise the Minister on matters relating to rock lobster fisheries on which the advice of the Advisory Committee is sought by the Minister.

(2) The Advisory Committee [RLIAC] may do all things necessary or convenient to be done for or in connection with the performance of its functions.”

To provide additional non-legislative guidance for the operation of the RLIAC, the Minister for Fisheries issued Fisheries Management Guide No.3 – A guide for Management and Ministerial Advisory Committee (MACs) and the conduct of meetings issued by the Minister for Fisheries, published in January 2003 by the Department of Fisheries.

This guide covers all critical operational aspects for advisory committees such as RLIAC. For example, it covers the role of members and observers, procedural matters, disclosure of interests and executive support for advisory committees.

RLIAC and its Stakeholders

Traditionally, the focus of management, and therefore consultative processes, has been the commercial rock lobster fisheries sector. However, the management and RLIAC processes have evolved to more explicitly recognize and include other stakeholders – in particular the recreational and conservation sectors. This process of evolution continues.

Discussion between the RLIAC and its stakeholders occurs through a variety of forums. Regular and well-known features of this communications process include the annual RLIAC coastal tour, along with stakeholder meetings that are held three-to-four times during a twelve-month period.

The RLIAC coastal tour takes the form of several day-long forums with rock lobster stakeholders, held at three key fishing ports between Fremantle and Geraldton, including representation from the conservation sector, coordinated and organised by RLIAC. The tour is open to the public and held in October each year and visits three major rock lobster ports between Fremantle and Geraldton.

This forum is widely recognised by rock lobster stakeholders as a mechanism for receiving the most up-to-date scientific advice on the status of the fishery within an ESD framework and discussing new and ongoing management issues in the context of the three-year planning process. Background material and the program for the upcoming coastal tour can be viewed and downloaded around late September each year.

In recent years, conducting quarterly half-day stakeholder meetings prior to a meeting of RLIAC itself has further enhanced consultation and communication. Held quarterly, these meetings provide regular opportunities for all rock lobster stakeholders to have direct input into and with the RLIAC process throughout the year.

The RLIAC communication and engagement with stakeholders on the assessment of the annual technical report is through a variety of mediums:

• RLIAC News – published quarterly;
• www.rocklobsterwa.com (Western Rock Lobster Council);
• scheduled RLIAC meetings;
• scheduled joint stakeholder meetings;
• annual RLIAC coastal tour and accompanying background documentation and reports; and
• RLIAC Executive Officer.

The purpose of these communication and consultation processes is to ensure stakeholders and the Western Australian community in general have access to relevant information, reports and advice that shapes the advice that RLIAC provides to the Minister.

For example, reports from the ESD Steering Committee and Scientific Reference Groups are made available through a variety of forums. By making this information available RLIAC encourages input from stakeholders and the community into the management process.

How to contact the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee

The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee can be contacted through the Department of Fisheries as follows:

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