The Strategic Plan Summary (FRDC 2002/313) reports as follows:
For all its economic promise the industry faces some challenges that constrain growth and profitability:
• Lack of appropriate peak body structure and supply chain fragmentation
• Limited enterprise commitment to joint industry development
• Complacency in dealing with market issues – predominant wild caught focus
• Limited sectoral or peak body strategic planning
• Policy dominated by resource managers and technologists rather than those with commercial and market experience.

The industry structure comprises around 700 small owner operator businesses with little or no capacity to coordinate investment in and manage industry development. Recovering lost industry value and delivering future growth is contingent upon coordinated investment in industry development at the whole of industry level.

SRL is now established and positioned to implement the strategic plan, and integration of R&D work across stakeholders, States, Australia and New Zealand, rock lobster subprograms, researchers and other related disciplines is now feasible under the leadership of SRL.

Two distinct needs are involved in any consideration of better national R&D co-ordination for the southern rock lobster sector:

1. The strategic issues of R&D prioritization, funding and the linkages to (and support for) both industry development plans and Government objectives of industry development.

2. The operational issues of facilitating effective communication and coordination at all levels (industry/researchers, among researchers, among industry, FRDC/researchers etc).