The fishery for western lobster (Panulirus cygnus) has supported an annual catch of about 10,500 tonnes per annum over the last twenty years and is worth between $200-300 million per annum. The fishery has been experiencing increasing exploitation rates over time and estimates in the early 1990s...

The very high levels of exploitation in the western rock lobster fishery have resulted in the introduction of regional or zone-specific management arrangements in recent years. This is a permanent departure from an holistic approach to the fishery’s regulation. A detailed knowledge of...