The WA FRAB has identified market intelligence and information as a priority for 2006-07. The Australian Southern Rocklobster industry has identified the need to "consider big picture market forces shaping the global food markets'" in the management of profitability of the industry, and the WRLDA has identified the need to develop long term strategic marketing plans.

To catch trends in global lobster markets, Australian lobster industries must have information on their market position relative to each other and other exporting nations. They see the need to increase
understanding by stakeholders of pressures, drivers and economic trends in the global lobster industry.

To achieve this, the unique Global Lobster Market Database (GLMD) developed by WRLDA in 2004 now must be expanded to include the other Australian lobster industries. This will allow them to identify trends in markets enabling development of predictive models by industry, improving the ability of industry to “fish to the market”. Information currently collected does not include all the markets targeted by
Australian lobster producers.

The development of a larger scale, more detailed lobster database, containing information pertinent to all Australian lobster industries, as well exchange rates and market intelligence, will allow the Australian lobster industry to become a significant and more powerful competitor on the world market, addressing needs and wants of consumers rather than being dictated to by commodity markets.

Provisions of the Commonwealth Environment and Biodiversity Conservation Act, requiring strategic assessment of fisheries against the principles of ESD including the need to monitor, assess and, if necessary, mitigate the interactions of fisheries with protected species (Fletcher et al. 2002).

In both the SA rock lobster and southern shark fisheries, there are considerable, policy and research requirements relating to fishery interactions with fur seals and sea lions that need to be undertaken within the next 2-3 years in order to fulfil recommendations detailed in recent Bycatch Action Plans and ESD Assessments (detailed in B2).

The National Seal Action Plan requires the estimation of sea lion and fur seal bycatch in gillnet, trawl, trap, dropline and longline fisheries and quantification of interactions with fishing equipment.

Assessment for the need for fishery closures to protect sea lions in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park.

Pinnipeds are listed as protected species under the Commonwealth Environment and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and are known to interact with lobster and gillnet fisheries.

Methods for assessing, monitoring and mitigating the interactions of pinnipeds with lobster and gillnet fisheries are needed urgently.

This need is greatest in South Australia, where:
1. the majority of populations of Australian sea lions occur, and where declining populations have been identified, and where
2. Australia’s largest populations of New Zealand fur seals occur, and where
3. a valuable ($80 M) fishery for southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) is located, and
4. where unquantified interactions between pinnipeds and the lobster and southern shark fisheries are known to occur.

The need to assess the interaction of the Australian sea lion with the South Australian lobster and southern shark fishery is particularly pressing, because the Australian sea lion:
(1) is Australia’s only endemic pinniped;
(2) may be more vulnerable to fishery-induced mortality than other species;
(3) is mainly confined to South Australia, with ~80% of pup production occurring in this state; and
(4) has recently been listed as Threatened (Vulnerable Category)under Commonwealth EPBC Act legislation.

Fletcher, W. J., Chesson, J., Sainsbury, K. J., Hundloe, T., Smith, A. D. M., and Whitworth, B. (2002). National ESD reporting Framework for Australian Fisheries: The “How to Guide for Wild Capture Fisheries” FRDC report 2000/145, Canberra, Australia.