Whale entanglements in the western rock lobster (WRL) fishery have increased dramatically with changes in fishing times from a move to a quota. The recent commonwealth Department for the Environment (DE) assessment removed the fishery from five-year export approval, granting a two-year Wildlife Trade Order (WTO) with conditions on whale entanglements. Subsequent correspondence from the Department of Fisheries (DoF) and DE requested information from industry as to what actions will undertaken for the 2014 and 2013 humpback migrations respectively. DoF correspondence indicated a seasonal closure may be implemented ‘in the absence of specific alternative action(s)’. A closure during the humpback migration (1 May-30 Nov) would concentrate fishing into the remaining 5 months resulting in a reduced beach price. Winter beach prices are ~$70/kg, with a move from this high value period into a condensed season reducing GVP by ~$50 million.
TRF project (2013-037) addresses the immediate aspects of the WTO conditions, required by 31 March 2014. Industry groups, while cognizant of the need to address the issue of whale
entanglements are reluctant to proceed with the introduction of gear modifications without a clear scientific rationale behind their testing.
Project 2013-037 is a preliminary study and with its initiations after the 2013 humpback migration has begun, detailed gear testing and migration information was not possible. However it is planned to identify a number of viable mitigation options that are worthy of detailed evaluation in 2014. This project extends on Project 2013-037 addresses the longer term (2014-2015) DE conditions, which would enable year-round market access.

Developing basic frameworks for the collection and reporting of fisheries economic data is necessary to
i) provide input into planned future versions of the national fisheries status report and
ii) at the state level, support the MEY-based approaches and associated target reference points that are increasingly being incorporated in fisheries management plans and harvest strategies.

Australian rock lobster fisheries, similar to their New Zealand counterparts, are coming under increasing pressure to forfeit access to fishing grounds and to shares of available yields as a consequence of a well organised and resourced marine protection lobby and opportunistic political decision making. In recent seasons the situation for the Australian lobster industries has been made more difficult because of Federal Government marine protected area agendas and difficulties in brokering direct export to the lucrative China market. Industry capacity that might otherwise be committed to improving reputation and efficiency and promoting economic growth and investment has instead been diverted to protecting existing access and utilisation opportunities. The rock lobster industries will directly and indirectly benefit from cooperative approaches to current and emerging challenges (the most recent being biotoxin events for example) and from collaborative efforts to agree and implement growth and consolidation strategies based on good science and credible decision making. The 'sharing of knowledge' which is a feature of each Lobster Congress draws greater numbers of industry participants into agreed work plans and creates wider understanding and awareness across the industries as to he need for responsible fishing, strategic responses to external forces, and wise and credible political lobby and positive profiles within the wider community.

The consultants selected to deliver the projects (KGA for project 2012/704 and China Policy for project 2012/705) do not currently have existing networks in the seafood export industry. This project is required to:
• Provide support to the consultants and assist with the two way transfer of knowledge between the industry and the consultants.

• Establish and provide ongoing support for an industry reference group as well as facilitate consultation the broader catching and export sector.

• Support communication and extension activity to borader SRL, WRL and ACA members.

The Australian lobster industry has reported that the ongoing interruptions to trade between Hong Kong and mainland China have impacted on them through:
• Financial loss from seized products and lost payments
• Impact on fishers with lower beach prices
• Shipments on hold causing product losses
• Emergence (and disappearance) of transient buyers
• Requests to send shipments via Vietnam and Thailand.
Such disruptions are unpredictable and are not likely to cease. Consequently the risk to Australian exporters is likely to become untenable and the trade might cease or be significantly reduced, leading to enormous loss of capital value in the industries.

In the case of Australian Wild Abalone it is reported that all trade between Hong Kong and Shenzhen has ceased since the initial border disruption in November 2010. A delegation comprising Abalone exporters, CRC and ACA representatives visited China in November 2011 and were asked by their importers to help improve the trade and market access for Abalone directly into mainland China.

There needs to be improved understanding of the constraints to trade and the mechanisms available to remove them. This includes ensuring that Australia's government trade negotiation positions are robust and strategic, based on sound industry knowledge. Identification of the mechanisms to improve trade and market access and the supporting information needed to capitalise on them will be critical.