Southern Rock Lobster support a major commercial fishery in Tasmania, with recent catches on the order of 1000 tonnes per year and a landed value of about $65 million. The species also represents a traditional food source for the local Indigenous population as well as being a highly prized target for the recreational sector. Concerns around declining Rock Lobster stocks in Tasmania were identified in the late 2000s. In 2011/12, east coast stocks were at historically low levels, attributed to a combination of heavy fishing pressure and multiple years of below average recruitment. Fishery simulations suggested that catches must be reduced to facilitate stock recovery above the biomass limit reference point (20% of unfished levels), initiating a 10-year stock rebuilding strategy that was implemented in 2013. A key element of this strategy is an annual catch limit, which is underpinned by a total allowable catch for the commercial sector and a region-specific notional catch share allocation for the recreational sector. However, reductions in bag and possession limits as well as a progressive reduction in season length have failed to achieve necessary reductions in recreational catch to target levels. A novel alternative approach to manage recreational catches that supported by stakeholders is the introduction of an individual season limit.

This investment aims to combine an in-depth global review of existing recreational management systems with a feasibility analysis of candidate management schemes to effectively monitor and regulate recreational rock lobster catches in a practical and cost-effective manner.