NSW Lobster Harvest Strategy - through the eyes of fishers, scientists and fisheries staff involved

"The harvest strategy is something we’ve been talking about for a number of years...and to a fisher like us, we wondered – what’s this all about?”

That’s commercial lobster fisher Noel Gogerly, who has been fishing in the lobster fishery since 1971.

The long-time lobster fisher says after being involved in the process of developing The NSW Lobster Fishery Harvest Strategy, he can see the logic of having a harvest plan that reflects the health of the fishery.

“It’s designed that if we do see a problem there are brakes we can put on straight away, [there is also] room that you could lift the quota,” he says.

In September, we brought you the story of how the NSW lobster fishery came back from “collapse” in the 1990s through the eyes of the fisherman and scientists who were part of the recovery.

This is the story of how fishermen have collaborated with scientists and managers in DPI Fisheries to create a plan to ensure the fishery remains healthy and sustainable into the future.

The NSW Lobster Fishery Harvest Strategy was developed in consultation with commercial, recreational, cultural fishers, independent experts and other stakeholders.

Senior Fisheries Manager Nick Giles was one of the DPI Fisheries managers involved.

He says the harvest strategy aims to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the NSW lobster fishery and provide transparency around management decisions for commercial, recreational and cultural fishers.

“The harvest strategy, importantly, considers and brings together objectives for all our fishing sectors…it gives us an agreed framework to manage the lobster stock,” he says.

He says it was developed to make sure fishing quotas and bag limits reflect the health of the lobster fishery.

“It sets a framework to use [fishery] data and assessments to guide management decisions,” he says.

For lobster fisherman Mark Cranstone, the harvest strategy is about reassurance. It’s about knowing the fishery he has been working in for more than 22 years will continue.

For him, looking after the lobster fishery sustainably is deeply personal.

“I want it there as a future for me, for my kids and their kids. So why would I want to take everything now and have nothing left for anyone else,” he says.

Recreational lobster fisher, Ian Puckeridge was part of the working group of expert scientists, managers and fishers involved in the development of the NSW Lobster Harvest Strategy.

A keen diver in the Sydney region for the past 47 years, Ian says the value of the Harvest Strategy is how it alters allowable catch based on the lobster biomass in the fishery.

“It sets targets so if the biomass falls, they reduce commercial quota and recreational take. If it increases there is potential for increases for both commercial and recreational [take],” he says.

Dr Geoff Liggins has been the DPI Fisheries scientist responsible for the monitoring and assessment of the NSW lobster stock in NSW for the last 20 years.

“The harvest strategy describes the monitoring that has to occur…the indicators of performance based on the monitoring data…and applies decision rules that are agreed as to what the management responses are going to be.”

Geoff says having agreed rules for increasing or decreasing catch based on science was pivotal to the success of the harvest strategy – both for the fishery and for the fishers that rely on it.

He says using these known “decision rules” will help fishers plan and prepare for the future.

“It’s part of business, being prepared for the future,” he says.

The NSW Lobster Harvest Strategy was developed by DPI Fisheries and partly funded via the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy.

Watch the NSW Lobster Harvest Strategy to find out the importance of the lobster harvest strategy for ensuring the ongoing sustainability of lobster fishing in NSW.