THE Southern Zone Rock Lobster season kicked off this morning with the industry hoping to ride the wave of success flowing from a bumper 2018/19 season.
A traditional Blessing of the Fleet was held in both Port MacDonnell and Beachport over the weekend, with early indications from Victoria’s season pointing towards a solid start.
The season will remain open until May 2020, however most professional operations in Port MacDonnell finished their season well ahead of May this year after favourable conditions saw the 1245 tonne quota filled well ahead of schedule in March.
As the weather heats up towards the end of the week and daylight savings comes into play on Sunday, Port MacDonnell Professional Fishermen’s Association president Roger Cutting said the fleet looked forward to the season ahead.
“We will not really have an idea of where prices will be until we get into the season properly, but we are hopeful for a good season,” Mr Cutting said.
“The Victorian season finished about two weeks ago and prices did reach $110 to $115 per kilo but they only have a small quantity of crayfish, so once we get going with the volume we have the price definitely takes a dip.
“It could be $90 or $100 but we will see that after the first couple of days of fishing.”
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting one of the state’s hottest summer periods on record but Mr Cutting said this would have little impact on fishing.
“When the weather warms up a bit and the water gets a bit warmer, the crays seem to move,” he said.
“But it is just the same as humans – when the weather is nice we want to be out enjoying the sunshine or gardening or having a barbecue, the crays just move a bit.
“So it just means fishing a bit deeper or closer depending on the weather, but it does not really matter too much.”
Inadequate sustainability practices in the early 2000s saw Port MacDonnell lobster stock diminish, but with current fishing tactics including a reduced quota size, the breeding stock has started to recover with an increase in undersized lobster seen last season.
While the signs are positive, Mr Cutting said there was a long way to go before balance was restored.
“We saw a lot of undersize lobsters last season which is a positive sign for the industry, but it is still not where it needs to be,” he said.
“There has been more than 10 years of build up to get to where we are and we still have a way to go before things are back the way they should be.
“But the slow increase is great to see and I think finishing up our season fairly early this year means they had some extra time as well, so that should keep things going well.
“We are definitely going in the right direction and the future of the industry is something we are all focused on preserving.”
With 180 licenses in the Southern Zone – which spans from the mouth of the Murray River to the Victorian border – Mr Cutting said the rock lobster industry was vital for the region, with some families seeing grandfathers, fathers and sons through the ranks.
“There are a couple of boats around here that have a father and two sons on the boat,” he said.
“In our family we are at the third generation and my grandson will eventually have a family and all the rest so it will continue to grow like that.
“That is the way it is done around here – it is a very family orientated business and it keeps jobs in the community.
“We have the kids from around Port MacDonnell rising through the ranks to eventually take over their father’s or their grandfather’s boat and that is just so important for our community.”
The season opened at 6am today and closes 6pm on May 31, 2020.
