Department defends reduced West Coast crayfish quotas after fisher backlash

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said that a number of factors were considered before reducing the crayfish quotas for West Coast fishers.

Fishers along the West Coast recently raised concerns after the department reduced its total allowable catch for rock lobster.

The department has since responded, saying despite a global increase in allocations, the crayfish quotas for the West Coast lobster were carefully considered.

After being issued lower quotas to catch crayfish, West Coast fishers raised concerns, saying there were significant increases for the commercial sector and some other small-scale cooperatives in the region.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment's spokesperson, Thobile Zulu-Molobi, said the approved West Coast rock lobster total allowable catch reflects a global increase of 58.4%.

However, Zulu-Molobi said allocations for fishers at an individual, sector or area level were determined by a combination of factors...

“Scientifically recommended super-area caps, the requirement to maintain historical inshore–offshore proportionality, effort-limitation measures aimed at protecting the resource during biologically sensitive periods, and the need to avoid compromising long-term stock recovery and compliance objectives."

Zulu-Molobi said differences in allocations reflect area-specific biological conditions and management controls, rather than preferential treatment.