Industry have recently developed a number of alternative SLED designs, since the use of a “spike” SLED became mandatory in lobster pots fished in waters less than 100 m in the South Australian commercial Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery. The impetus for developing alternative SLED designs was to see if the practicability and operational safety of fishing lobster pots with SLEDs could be improved. A number of alternative SLEDs were trialled by industry over the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 fishing seasons. Up to four of these alternative SLED designs have been put forward as practical alternatives to the “spike” SLED design.

These now require robust experimental testing to assess their effectiveness at preventing ASLs from entering lobster pots.

The Northern Zone rock lobster fishery of South Australia is extensive covering an area of approximately 207,000 km2. The fishery has been managed under a total allowable commercial catch (TACC) since 2003. The current TACC is 345 tonnes, the majority of which is taken in inshore waters in the eastern region of the zone. The fishing season extends from November 1 to May 31 of the following year, with a closure from June to October inclusive. This project is an industry-led initiative that aims to explore alternative fishery management arrangements at both spatial and temporal scales.

From a spatial perspective, a number management of options are currently being considered for the fishery. Broadly, these options aim to encourage, through financial incentives, higher levels of exploitation in both western and offshore regions. Currently, estimates of biomass in the fishery are non-spatial. Fundamental to any spatial option is the need to generate spatial estimates of biomass to ensure that any increase in catch from peripheral regions is sustainable from a management perspective. This project aims to generate spatial biomass estimates based on historical logbook catch returns using the qR rock lobster fishery model which has been specifically developed for this fishery.

From a temporal viewpoint, industry wish to examine the possibility of an extended fishing season to enhance profitability by providing product during a period of low supply and higher prices. Currently, there are no available fishery or biological data from any of the four regions during the closed season from June to October. In particular, there is a need to attain information on the proportion of ovigerous (spawning females) in the catch during this period. Through a number of dedicated surveys, this project aims to provide a detailed catch breakdown in each fishery region during the current closed season.

South Australia contains 80% of the endemic Australian sea lion (ASL) population, where substantial fishing effort in the gillnet sector SESSF (~20,000 km net-lifts/year) and SA RLF (~1.5 million pot-lifts/year) increase the risk of fatal interactions.

A recent risk assessment (FRDC 2005/077) identified that subpopulations of ASL are highly vulnerable to even low-level bycatch from fisheries, with >40% of subpopulations at risk of extinction from as little as 1-2 additional female deaths/year over a 20-25 year period. The risk assessment identified that the current high proportion of depleted subpopulations of the species may be entirely due to sustained low-level bycatch by commercial fisheries.

ASL are listed as a threatened species under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, and a recovery plan has identified bycatch from bottom-set gillnet and rock lobster fisheries as the most significant anthropogenic contributor to the species’ lack of recovery. As such the development of measures to mitigate interactions with sea lions forms the most pressing ESD issues for these fisheries.

ESD assessments of both the gillnet sector of the SESSF and SARLF fisheries have identified interactions with seals as a significant issue. These assessments make at least seven recommendations to address protected species interactions (including seals), but little if any progress has been made to address these to date.

In order to have southern rock lobster taken from South Australian waters placed on the list of exempt native specimens for export under Part 13 and 13(A) of the EPBC Act, there is an imperative to address these ESD recommendations, as failure to do so may jeopardise current and future export exemptions.

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.