Charlotte Varcoe
RECREATIONAL fishers have welcomed an alternative process to mark lobsters this coming season.
Previously, recreationally caught rock lobster were required to be only marked by clipping its middle-tail fan in half horizontally and removing it.
Concerns were raised the practice could cause discomfort and blood loss for the lobster and potentially impact the quality of eating.
Changes will now allow fishers to either mark their recreationally caught lobster by punching its middle-tail fan with a hole not less than 10mm or using the current clipping method.
Kingston South East Recreational Fishing Association president Lynton McInness said the change was a step forward.
“Cutting is quite easy and I still believe the fisheries should come back to 20 per cent but it is great that people have a choice,” Mr McInness said.
“I think for next season a lot of people will opt for the 10mm hole and I think it will be the main choice.”
He said marking the lobsters was a “good move” as it identified lobsters which have not been professionally caught.
Mr McInness said this year’s season was expected to be a positive season for fishers following a difficult season last year.
RecFishSA executive officer Asher Denzsery said it was something lobster fishers had been involved in for quite some time.
“It is very high on the agenda in terms of navigating how we access resources and how we treat them after we have caught them because there is a level of social licensing that goes with catching your own food, you do it responsibly and ethically,” Mr Denzsery said.
“There were community fishing club members saying they do not like cutting the tail fan by 50 per cent because they do bleed a bit and the argument on the perception of pain and everything else.”
He said people were able to still use the old system or the new system which was a benefit for fishers across the state.
“If someone is ethically inclined or they figured if it is a better ethical outcome they can choose to utilise the tail punch and that is why it is a benefit because it does look like it does require an additional tool,” Mr Denzsery said.
Minister for Primary Industries Clare Scriven said identifying recreationally caught rock lobster was important given its “status as a highly valuable” species to both the recreational and commercial fishing sectors.
“We have listened to the concerns raised by the recreational fishing community, particularly those in the Limestone Coast, and I am pleased we were able to make these sensible changes,” Ms Scriven said.
