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The Western Rocklobster Council is pleased to announce the return date for ballot papers in the election of Directors has been extended until the 19th of October 2005. This will give stakeholders on the electoral role of the Western Rock Lobster Council additional time to consider who will best represent their interests as Directors on the board of the Council.

The extension on the closing dates has been made possible because the dates for the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee’s Coastal Tour for 2005 have been postponed. The Council always intended to make the announcements about the new board at the RLIAC Coastal Tour.

The original closing date for the election was Wednesday the 5th of October but a delay at the printers meant that the opportunity for fishermen to return the ballot papers was shorter than is normally acceptable in this industry.

“The extension of time should ensure a higher return rate in the election than would have been achieved if we had persisted with the original closing date. ” Said Steven Gill, Executive Director of the Western Rocklobster Council.

Zone A Poll Results

The Zone A fishermen requested a poll to be conducted by the WRLC to determine the view of the fishermen on two issues affecting A zoners outlined below. The response rate was very high, and the results are shown below:

1. Do you support the extension of the 10% pot reduction from the 16th April through to the 30th June for A zone?

2. Do you support allowing the one way flow of units from A zone into B zone until a more equitable outcome is achieved?

There were a total of 150 MFL holders on the A zone database. We received a total 121 responses to the vote (a response rate of 81%). Of the 121 responses, 117 had the required level of detail to be counted in the results for the first question and only 115 were acceptable for the second question.

It is hoped that the results of this mail survey of A zone MFL holders will assist the industry and RLIAC during any future discussions and decision making process that are relevant to either of the questions posed in the survey.

This information will be passed on to RLIAC and will most likely be discussed at the Coastal Tour (please note new Tour dates below). If you have any further questions about the poll, please contact the Western Rock Lobster Council on (08) 9492 8888.

Changes to RLIAC Tour Dates - NEW!!

The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee have advised us that they are moving the Coastal Tour to later on in the off season, as the current tour dates clash with the National Rock Lobster Congress to be held in Hobart in October. The new Coastal Tour dates are as follows:

Please Note- the Geraldton section of the Tour is being held FIRST. If you have any questions, please contact RLIAC at the Department of Fisheries, Perth.

WAFIC Golf Day 2005

Following the success of last year's WAFIC Annual Golf Day, entries are now being called for teams in this years golfing challenge. Teams of four people are required for the day, but hurry places are filling fast. Entry forms are available on the WAFIC web site, and close 13th September.

The Western Rock Lobster Council and Australian Commercial Marine will be sponsoring this years' "V8 Super Drinks Cart".... what will the drinks girls be wearing this year?

Election of Board Members

The Western Rock Lobster Industry has voted to move to direct election of Board Members for the Western Rock Lobster Council for the 2005 -06 season. The Council will now consist of

To be eligible for a position on the WRLC Board, you must be nominated by an MFL holder. Both Owner-Operators and Skippers can be nominated for a position on the Board. If you are a Skipper of a vessel, you may be nominated for a position by a MFL holder but you must be registered on the WRLC Electoral Role before 15th August 2005.

Following the close of nominations and the Electoral Role, a ballot paper listing the people running for Board Member positions will be sent out to all MFL holders. Each MFL is potentially worth two votes, one vote is automatically allocated to the MFL holder, the second vote can only be activated by a 'natural person' and this person must be the holder of a Commercial Fisherman's Licence (for example, this may be the skipper of the vessel). The person who is activating the second vote must be registered with the WRLC by the 15th of August. This should ensure that both the MFL holder and the fishermen on the water have an opportunity to vote on who represents their interests on the Western Rock Lobster Council. The forms for registering and nominating (as recently sent to all MFL holders) are below:

Fishing Industry Sponsors Dirk Hartog Island Clean Up

A group of fishermen and community volunteers from Kalbarri and surrounding areas led by WA SeaNet Extension Officer Carl Bevilacqua recently set out for Dirk Hartog Island to remove decades of accumulated rubbish on the only two sand beaches located on the west coast of this extremely rugged Island.

The beaches had considerable amounts of rubbish comprised mainly of domestic rubbish such as plastic bottles; footwear, lighters toothbrushes and all manner of unrecognizable plastic objects. Commercial fishing related rubbish included pot floats, bait baskets and lids, rope and glow sticks.

Once all the rubbish collected was transported back to Kalbarri for classification and separation, and finally sent to the Kalbarri tip. A benefit for the fishers involved is the recycling of floats, bait baskets and lids. Total weight of rubbish removed excluding 666 recycled floats bait baskets and 102 lids was 1372 KG, (132 fertilizer bags):

It was an enormous effort by those involved and special thanks must go to Lobster fisherman Terry Ash of Kalbarri for providing the use of his Vessel, Lobster fishermen Vaughn Ralph of Kalbarri, Colin Suckling of Horrocks, Greg Horsman of Port Gregory, local farmer Ross Olsen, Dean Robinson from Kalbarri Sports and Dive and local Kalbarri Policeman Harry Rice for graciously volunteering their time and effort. Funding support was kindly provided by WAFIC and the WRLC. (The full report on the clean up is available through this link).

For more information or expressions of interest in conducting a similar exercise in your local area, please contact WA SeaNet Extension Officer Carl Bevilacqua on 9492 8811 or email seanet@wafic.org.au.

Meeting for A Zone- Permanent Pot Reduction?

Fishermen from the A Zone have requested a meeting to discuss the potential for extending the new pot reduction to the end of the season. The recent changes to the package require a reduction of 10% pots for the A zone fishermen between 15th November-14th March. A meeting will be held on the

in Geraldton to DISCUSS this proposal and develop a 'YES' and a 'NO' case. Once the arguments have been developed, A Zone MFL holders will receive a voting form in the mail. A vote on the issue WILL NOT be taken on the day of the meeting. The meeting is simply to discuss the proposal, finalise what question will be put on the voting form, and what the arguments for and against the proposal are. The Western Rock Lobster Council will act as a facilitator at the meeting only. A copy of the notice that was sent to A Zone MFL holders is attached through the link above.

The purpose of the vote which will occur at a later date following the meeting is to provide advice to the Minister about what the industry wants. The final decision remains that of the Minister for Fisheries.

Working Hours Draft Code of Practice

The Occupational Health and Safety Commission (formerly WorkSafe) has recently released a draft of their Working Hours Code of Practice for public comment. The information in this draft will affect the fishing industry as it covers all work places in WA. The Risk Management Guidelines for Working Hours (Table) on page 24 of the PDF link of the document above contains a number of points that relate to the WRL industry, showing that we are in a higher risk category for hazard factors such as:

working more than 56 hours per week
working more than 624hours over a three month period
length of shift (between 10-12 hours)
infrequent or no breaks during shift
long hours during peak season
influence of drugs, alcohol and a lack of sleep
fatigued employees making critical decisions
long exposure to vibration and noise

The WRLC suggests you read this document and consider it in relation to your work practices and those of your crew. If you wish to discuss aspects of the document, please contact the WAFIC Safety and Training Officer, Brad Armstrong on (08) 9492 8888. Please forward any comments to Brad or the Western Rock Lobster Council by 16th September 2005.

New Management Package

The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee has met with fishermen in the C Zone on the 22 of June 2005 and fishermen in the A and B Zones on the 1st of July 2005 to discuss the proposed Sustainability packages . The meetings were each attended by more than 100 stakeholders. The Minister for Fisheries (Hon. Jon Ford) also attended both meetings.

The package aims to address the increase in the efficiency of the fleet, and the following changes are to be implemented in the fishery in the coming 2005-06 season. A copy of the Letter to Stakeholders from the Minister for Fisheries is available by clicking on the link and details the changes below:

The change in Minimum gauge size for Commercial fishermen only will commence on 9 February in the Northern Zones. The Big Bank Fishery will commence on 10 February at 10.00am. There are no changes to the current escape gap system in this package. These changes will provide an effective effort reduction of 15% to the Northern Zones and 5% to the Southern Zone.

The above information for fishermen provides a guide only. It is important for each fisherman to read the package document carefully to ensure compliance. If you have any further questions please contact RLIAC on 08 9482 7333 or the Western Rock Lobster Council on 08 9492 8888.

Wet Line Review

Allocation of entitlements to the Wet Line Fishery by commercial rock lobster operators is currently under review by the Department of Fisheries. The aim of the Wet Line Review is to implement a more effective management strategy for fin-fish by controlling who has access to commercial stocks. The Western Rock Lobster Council has developed a Submission on the Wet Line Review which outlines our position. The WRLC does not support the current proposals for allocation as put forward in the Review (Fisheries Management Paper 191). We believe that all operators have an equal entitlement to the Wet Line Fishery while also recognising each operator’s level of involvement in, or dependence on Wet Lining would achieve the fairest outcome for the future allocation of access and entitlement in the Wet Line Fishery. If you have any queries or comments on the Submission or Review, please contact us.

Code of Conduct for Scallop Fishermen

The West Coast Trawl Association has been working with the Western Rock Lobster Council supported by the Geraldton Professional Fishermen's Association to develop a Code of Conduct for Scallop Trawlers working in the Abrolhos Islands. The Code identifies a number of traditional trawling grounds in the Northern, Central and Southern areas of the Islands. These areas are provisional and will be further negotiated in the next year. There have also been some key changes to the management of the Abrolhos Islands Scallop fishery which include a 250kg catch threshold, resulting in closure of the scallop season when the fishery can no longer sustain the fleet. The Code of Conduct aims to address scallop fishing procedures around the lobster fishery, as well as fishing procedures in non-traditional scallop fishing grounds and is a way forward to ensure both industries can exist together. Questions and queries about the Code can be addressed to the Western Rock Lobster Council.

Structure of the Western Rock Lobster Council

Commercial rock lobster fishermen (MFL holders) voted recently in support of changing the structure of the Western Rock Lobster Council to an elected body as a way of becoming more representative of the industry. The elected body strategy was favoured over the current WRLC structure, and will result in a more even representation of fishermen in all three zones. The Board of the WRLC will be made up of three representatives from A zone, three representatives from B zone and six from C zone. Information on the three proposed options for the structure of the WRLC can be accessed by the following link:

Nominations for the elections will be called for at the end of the 2005 season prior to an election in September 2005. The new Council will be effective in the 2005-06 season. If you would like further information on the new or current Council structure, please contact the WRLC on (08) 9492 8888.

Abrolhos Islands Lease Agreements

The WRLC is working with the Abrolhos Islands Land Management Sub Committee to develop a Lease Agreement for fishermen working at the islands. A draft lease was provided to the AILMSC in February but did not reflect the agreed Principles of the Lease. The Lease agreement continues to be negotiated between the State Solicitors Office who is drafting the Lease, the Department of Fisheries and the AILMSC. A revised edition is expected in mid May 2005. The current Minister for Fisheries (the Hon Jon Ford) has agreed to proceed with the Lease Agreement as proposed by the previous Minister. The AILMSC wishes to discuss the revised document with the fishermen at the Islands towards the end of May 2005. If you have any queries in regard to this document, please contact the AILMSC on (08) 9492 8825.

Funding for the Council

The Western Rock Lobster Council has received conditional approval for the collection of a levy of $2/pot to assist with funding for the Council. The approval by the previous Minister for Fisheries (the Hon. Kim Chance), depends on the production of a business strategy for the Council, transparency in the budget processes of the Council, and is to be collected for the next three seasons pending satisfactory reviews.

The receipt of this funding is a big step forward for the WRLC as it will contribute to providing Geraldton-based executive support for the Council, allowing fishermen in the north of the fishery to have more ready access to the Council, and more financial support for addressing the issues facing the fishery now, as well as providing additional Perth based executive support for the Council. The development of the business strategy for the Council will be posted to this web site when available.

Abrolhos Islands Waste Management Strategy

The Department of Fisheries has appointed a person from the Department of Environment to develop a Waste Management Strategy (WMS) for the Abrolhos Islands. The WMS is required under the Management Plan for the Islands and is currently available in a Draft for comment from the Department of Fisheries.

The WMS outlines the issues relating to the management of commercial and domestic waste at the islands, addresses some of the legislation relating to waste management and includes some potential solutions to waste management issues. The Draft document has been presented to fishermen working in the Abrolhos Islands in April 2005 and their feedback is being sought.

The Department of Fisheries, the Department of Environment, the Western Rock Lobster Council and the Abrolhos Islands Land Management Sub Committee are working together with the fishermen to find acceptable solutions to the waste management issues and recognises the significant improvements that have already occurred in waste management practices at the Islands.

Fishermen are also encouraged to find new and innovative ways to reduce, re-use and recycle their wastes, in an effort to ensure best practices are fulfilled. Any suggestions that you may have for ways to address waste management issues are greatly appreciated and should be directed to Andy Darbyshire, Department of Fisheries, Geraldton. Written submissions on the Draft WMS are also encouraged to ensure the most cost effective and efficient waste solutions can be implemented. Submissions are being accepted until 29th of July 2005.

Western Rock Lobster Unit Register

The Unit Register will assist in determining ownership of the WRL entitlements, levels and priorities of security interests, unique identification of units and will create a more efficient way to access data for the fishery. This Issues paper is the first in a serious of documents to be released for public comment in a process to determine the best way to develop the register.

The Western Rock Lobster Council has made a submission on this Unit Register paper outlining what requirements are necessary for the further development of the register. The closing date for comments on the issues paper was on the 29th of April 2005, but the WRLC will forward any additional comments on to the Unit Register Steering Committee .

Code Of Practice for Reducing Whale Entanglements

The WRLC in conjunction with SeaNet Environmental Extension Service and the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) has developed a Code of Practice to reduce incidents of interactions with whales. The Code addresses best practice procedures for lobster fishermen which will also assist in reducing interactions with other marine wildlife. The Code of Practice also includes information on the ecology and management of the whale populations, environmental management of the WRL industry and information on the CALM disentanglement program. The WRLC encourages all fishermen to abide by the Code, and ensure that the impacts of the WRL fishery on the environment are minimised. Copies of the Code are also available from the Western Rock Lobster Council.

Integrated Fisheries Management (IFM)

A paper entitled "Integrated Fisheries Management Report Rock Lobster Resource" has been published by the Department of Fisheries as the first in a series of papers addressing the concept of resource sharing between recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen and other stakeholders. The concept of IFM involves dividing up a total sustainable catch of lobster among all stakeholders and details of allocations are yet to be determined.

The paper addresses issues such as current resource use patterns, sustainable harvest levels, distribution of fishing licenses, indigenous use of the resource and other important issues. The allocations within each sector are to be determined by the Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee (IFAAC) based on information received through Government reports, fishery statistics, biological information and public submissions. The Western Rock Lobster Council has completed its submission on the resource allocation issues and encourages fishermen and PFA's to contribute their comments as well. Submissions on this initial paper are being called for now, please contact the WRLC or Department of Fisheries if you have any queries on the matter.

Social Impact Assessment of the WRL Fishery

The FRDC funded project assessing the social effects of the proposed changes to the management system of the WRL fishery is underway, with the Institute for Regional Development at UWA driving the project. The assessment will determine how changing the management system of the fishery to either an Individual Transferable Effort (ITE) system or an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system will affect the communities that host the Western Rock Lobster fishery. The social impacts of the current system will also be identified. Interviews are being conducted with fishermen, families and businesses within the fishing communities up and down the coast and data is being collected on the ability of the communities to cope with changes. More information on the project can be seen at

The results of the project will link into the Economic and Environmental Impacts of the proposed changes and will provide a solid understanding of the effects of the different management types. More information on the proposed changes to the management system was presented at Coastal Tour.

Code of Conduct for Commercial Fishermen Operating in the Capes Region.

The Western Rock Lobster Council is in the process of revising the Code of Conduct for the Capes Region. The documents will be posted on the web site and distributed to all C zone fishermen shortly. Fishermen planning to fish in the region are being asked to sign onto the Code and return a copy to the Western Rock Lobster Council.

Revision of the code is in line with the recommendations that flowed from a process set up by the Minister for Fisheries The Hon Kim Chance. The "Capes Rock Lobster Negotiation Working Group" report has recently been released by the Minister an a copy of the Chairman's Report is available by following the link below.

Recommendation 9 and 10 of the report detail a way for the Rock Lobster fishery and the surfing community to minimise the safety risks to surfers. In response to the recommendations in late October 2004 the Western Rock Lobster Council Chartered a vessel and invited representatives from the surfing community, recreational fishers and commercial fishers onto the boat to conduct a fine scale mapping exercise to establish safety zones around key surfing breaks in the Capes Region.

On the vessel there was consensus on all but one of the boundaries for the lobster fishing exclusion zones or surfer safety zones. The Western Rock Lobster Council have prepared an interim report to the Minister of Fisheries seeking his support for including the rock lobster exclusion areas as legislated closures.

To view the fine scale maps of the proposed lobster fishing exclusion zones follow the links below.

Western Rock Lobster Fisherman’s Congress

The Congress was the fisherman’s opportunity to have input into the future direction of the Lobster fishery. The First Congress was held in Geraldton on the 8th of October 2004.

The review of the management system in the Western Rock Lobster Fishery
The structure and function of the Western Rock Lobster Council
The Marine Stewardship Council Certification.

This was the fisherman’s opportunity to set policy on strategic issues. The Western Rock Lobster Council will feed the policy decisions from the Congress in to the RLIAC process.

The Congress agenda was all about the industry setting the strategic directions for the industries lobby group to follow.

If you missed the opportunity to be apart of the Congress you can read the speakers notes from the Congress by following the links below.

RLIAC 2004 Coastal Tour

The 2004 coastal tour is for the whole WA Community interested in rock lobster fishing. The Coastal tour notes and tour pack are available by following the links below.

THE WEBSITE OF THE WESTERN ROCK LOBSTER COUNCIL

Frequently Asked Questions

What's New

Extension of Election Closing Date