The Australian Southern rock lobster (SRL) fishery is largely reliant on an international live lobster market. The reliance on live export has meant that even low levels of stock losses or poor product quality can have significant financial or brand consequences. Recently, there has been an apparent trend for increased post-harvest mortality of SRL across the fishery costing millions due to stock losses, decreased consumer confidence in product quality and reputational damage to the SRL market brand. This investment will conduct an analysis of on-vessel live lobster handling and holding practices, quantify the impact of systems and practices on lobster quality and provide recommendations on improving on-vessel post-harvest practices. The project will also extend the development of practical and easy to use tools for the evaluation of lobster health including the handheld lactate meter and refractive index. Building these evidenced-based approaches to measuring health and stress will provide all industry participants with improved measurement of quality, animal welfare, and sustainability at all points in the supply chain.