Improving Profitability in the Western Rocklobster Fishery using a Rocklobster Trap
- Project Number - 2008/900
- Start Date - 15th November 2008
- End Date - 15th November 2009
- Principal Investigator - Mr Andrew Winzer
- Research Provider - SA Research and Development Institute
- CRC Research End User - WA Fishing Industry Council
About the Project
Given the current cost-price squeeze, the Western Rocklobster (WRL) industry
have highlighted business improvement/cost competitiveness within the fishing
industry as a priority for research. For the WRLfishery, this situation has resulted
primarily from a relatively static beach price for lobster and increasing
fuel, labour and other input costs. A major driver for input costs in this fishery is
the number of pot lifts, which is currently about 10 million annually, equating to
a total cost of ~$60 million (average cost per potlift - $6.00).
The introduction of a lobster trap which causes a reduction in the number of
pot lifts has the potential to enhance the primary measure of exploitation in
the WRLF namely, catch per unit effort (CPUE). A 10-20% reduction in pot lifts
over an entire season would result in cost savings to the tune of $6-12 million
annually.
Project Objectives
1. To collect data on the catching efficiency of a 1.2m lobster trap which will
assist policy makers and fishers (stakeholders in the fishery) in basing future
decisions on whether to modifiy policy and behaviour.
2. To calculate the potential cost savings which arise through the use of a
reduced number of more efficient 1.2m lobster traps in tandem with a
modified fishing behaviour.
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