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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-03-06 Daily Xml
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Southern Zone Rock Lobster

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister tell the chamber about SARDI's world-leading research into our iconic rock lobster?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:59): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am always pleased to speak in this chamber about some of our exceptional fisheries, and the southern rock lobster fishery is one such fishery. SARDI has again provided their world-class expertise and research capability to look at the sustainability of our iconic southern rock lobster fishery from several perspectives, with three of their scientific manuscripts into the species being published in well-respected international journals.

Southern rock lobster is the largest wild-catch fishery by value in the state and is an incredibly important driver of employment and opportunities, particularly across the South-East. While the last five or so years have been very difficult, starting with COVID and then trade restrictions in the Chinese market, the fishery has shown incredible persistence in opening new international markets and working to further develop the domestic market, but of course it has been tough.

One of the first actions our government took after the last election was to provide 50 per cent fee relief for the sector in 2022-23 to acknowledge just how tough it was. We have worked closely with the sector ever since, leading up to the recent reopening of the Chinese market. It cannot be overstated just how important the reopening of the largest export market is for the fishery. The removal of trade restrictions is a win not only for our southern rock lobster sector but also for Chinese consumers who put an incredibly high value, both economically and culturally, on the iconic species.

It followed respectful discussion at all levels of government both in Australia and from our Chinese counterparts. I would like to particularly acknowledge the work of federal trade minister Don Farrell for leading these discussions that have meant South Australian rock lobster is back on restaurant menus and dinner tables across China.

SARDI scientists' most recent research into the species focused on sustainability from several aspects. The first was monitoring juvenile rock lobster to predict fishery performance in years to come. The information gathered from this research will be used to assist future management decisions, including the setting of annual catch limits. This research was published in the aquatic biology journal Fisheries Management and Ecology.

The second project looked at how the fishery has been impacted by climate change, with scientists predicting that environmental changes caused by climate change could reduce the number of lobsters that reach legal size, and further looked at ways to safeguard the fishery from depletion caused as a result. The paper associated with this research was published in the journal Fisheries Research.

The third project, also published in Fisheries Research, looked at fishing gear efficiency, which found that using modified batten pots could increase catch efficiency and reduce fishing effort by nearly 40 per cent compared to the use of beehive pots. The research also found that batten pots reduced rates of undersize lobster, bycatch and mortality caused by octopus. Of course, a 40 per cent increase in efficiency with the added other benefits have a real potential to benefit the way the industry operates into the future.

The South Australian government's number one priority for commercial and recreational fisheries is sustainability. The excellent work done in these projects by SARDI and our southern rock lobster fishery will mean that we make better-informed decisions about the management of the fishery for the long term. On this side of the chamber, we respect the incredible scientific capability at SARDI. I hope those opposite will show the same respect and join me in commending the latest example of South Australia's world-class research and science capability.

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