Project number: 2002-045
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $265,266.09
Principal Investigator: Bruce Phillips
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 29 Jun 2002 - 14 Feb 2007
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Stock Assessment
Resource Enhancement
Productivity
Life History
Habitat
SPECIES
Western Rock Lobster

Need

The rock lobster aquaculture and wild fishery reference group (RLEAARG) to the Department of Fisheries has recommended the funding for small-scale experiments in rock lobster habitat enhancement as an industry priority.

The Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC) has endorsed a timetable and plan for possible research funding for western rock lobster enhancement and aquaculture. The idea behind this plan is to develop the technology, so that if it is thought possible and desirable to undertake these developments, the information will be available for W A to commence these activities. This is one of the projects identified and supported in the plan.

Rock lobster enhancement is one of the priority areas of the FRDC Enhancement and Aquaculture Subprogram. There is a need to use and build on the available information that exists on the habitat requirements of western rock lobster pueruli and post pueruli so that it can be applied in a way that might lead to enhancing production in the wild fishery. A pre-proposal outlining the proposal assessing the possibilities for enhancing the natural settlement of western rock lobster was endorsed by the RLEAS Subprogram.

Objectives

1. To investigate in the laboratory, the number, size and positioning of holes suitable for post-pueruli shelters in an artificial reef environment.
2. To estimate the number of shelters needed to make a measurable impact in a study area, and a preliminary estimate of what would be needed to provide an impact in a regional commercial catch and effort (CAES) reporting area.
3. To design, in conjunction with coastal engineers, suitable puerulus/post puerulus enhancement structures that could be built in the future to test as a device to enhance local rock lobster populations.
4. To undertake a benefit cost analysis for the various options for enhancing western rock lobster.

Final report

Author: Bruce Phillips
Final Report • 2007-01-29 • 6.70 MB
2002-045-DLD.pdf

Related research

All research
research
Environment
Environment
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2019-099
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT

Climate driven shifts in benthic habitat composition as a potential demographic bottleneck for Western Rocklobster: understanding the role of recruitment habitats to better predict the under-size lobster population for fishery sustainability

1. The overall objective is to evaluate the implications of habitat change for the western rock lobster fishery, by determining the relative importance of habitat for the survivorship and growth of critical western rock lobster life stages, to inform the interpretation of existing settlement and...
ORGANISATION:
University of Western Australia (UWA)