Translocation as a Tool to Improve Yield and Value in a Lobster Fishery

Translocation of Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) involves capturing and moving lobsters between areas.  Lobsters in some areas are slow growing and can be captured in large numbers.  These are then moved to areas with faster growth and released, achieving gains in production of around eight-fold.  There were numerous concerns around this exercise which have been explored in a range of research projects including possible risk of disease transfer, economic feasibility, effects on egg production, ecological changes in source and release areas, and change to market traits of translocated lobsters.  Operations have gradually transited from small research scale operations to commercial scale operations that now increase production in the fishery by around 50 tonnes or 5%.  This is fully funded by the commercial sector and provides a return on investment of around 700% each year.  Although the case for investment in this exercise seems clear, the pathway to adoption of this novel approach has not been smooth with much debate amongst industry.  As a result the current operations are currently well below the full potential.  The project provides insight into successfully managing change by co-management with a large group of commercial fishers.