West Coast Rock Lobster fishing quota increases for 2025/2026 season

Tasleem Gierdien

Tasleem Gierdien

21 October 2025 | 7:12

The fishing season is set for a four-month period, typically from 15 November to 15 March, to protect the stock while it recovers.

West Coast Rock Lobster fishing quota increases for 2025/2026 season

A West Coast rock lobster. Picture: Facebook/Overstrandmunicipality

According to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the new total allowable catch (TAC) for West Coast Rock Lobster for the 2025/2026 season is 800 metric tonnes, a 58.4% overall increase from the previous season's 505 tonnes.

This follows the latest scientific assessment, which shows signs of recovery in the resource. The TAC will be shared as follows:

  • Commercial Offshore: 400 tonnes
  • Commercial Nearshore: 136 tonnes
  • Small Scale Nearshore: 136 tonnes
  • Small Scale Offshore: 104 tonnes
  • Recreational: 24 tonnes

"Poaching has decreased, hence the increase in terms of the TAC," explains Odwa Dubula, director for inshore fisheries management at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

For recreational divers, the TAC still limits divers to a maximum of four rock lobsters per day while transporting 20 lobsters at a time with a permit.

However, the guidelines for recreational divers may still change, as the department is continuing its consultations on the matter.

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