New Management Plan for Lobster Fishery

Fisheries Minister Norman Moore introduced the new management plan for the West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery to move to a full quota management system, which will officially begin in mid-January next year, reports ABCRural.

Among the changes is a transition to an all-zone 12-month fishing season and a shift to individual transferable quota.

The director of the Rock Lobster Council, Peter Bailey, told ABC Rural the changes have been a long time in the making.

"It's following on from a new management plan ... the draft plan was put out a few months ago for industry views and comments and various consultation on that and this is just finalising moving into the new management plan for the fishery basically," he said.

Mr Bailey says there are mixed feelings about the transition to a 12-month fishing seasons for all zones.

"Some people want to fish and some people don't at different months ... but it's all about flexibility and it certainly gives fishermen flexibility to chop and choose," he said.

"So from the 15 January there will be no off-season and we'll move into full 12-month fishing."