Following an ABC TV News report (including an interview with TCT Marine
Campaigner Jon Bryan on 15 March 2012,) numerous media reports incorrectly claimed
that the TCT was either ‘planning’ or ‘taking’ legal action in regard to the Tasmanian
rock lobster industry, which some said would threaten the export trade for
Tasmanian lobsters or even put the entire industry at risk of closure.
The TCT was accused of not knowing anything about the issue and not having legitimate concerns.
Julian Amos joined in this misguided attack in the Mercury. In his article of 22 March
2012 he states “Even long-standing and respected conservation outfits, such as the
Tasmanian Conservation Trust can be manipulated by a singular interest. The recent
fracas surrounding the lobster exports is essentially the view of one person not accepting
the scientific evidence surrounding that fishery.”
We believe that it is important to put the record straight on the TCT’s intentions
regarding legal action in relation to the rock lobster industry. Matters such as legal action
are not taken lightly, or by just one person in the organisation. Most importantly, we want
to explain our concerns regarding the management of the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery,
the scientific evidence we have provided to governments and the credentials of our staff
who work on this issue.
The TCT is not currently undertaking nor planning legal action in regard to the
Tasmanian lobster fishery. All we have done is request a statement of reasons for the
Australian Government’s decision, issued on 1 February 2012, to approve the
management regime, and therefore export approval, for the Tasmanian rock lobster
fishery. We are yet to receive the reasons.
The TCT is governed by an elected Council, selected by TCT members from within its
membership. This is the body which makes important decisions. Contrary to the
implication made by Mr Amos, it is the TCT’s elected Council which makes decisions in
regard to any legal action and not an individual staff member. The advice of staff
members with relevant expertise is taken into account along with legal opinion –
but ultimately the buck stops with the Council.
For nearly twenty years the TCT has worked closely with government and the fishing
industry. Our representative, Jon Bryan, sits on the Crustacean Fishery Advisory
Committee as well as other Tasmanian Fishery Advisory Committees, and is a member of
the management advisory committees for two Commonwealth managed fisheries. Jon
Bryan is so respected in the fishing community that he won the Tasmanian Seafood
Industry Council’s Environment Award in 2011.
As well as bringing our concerns to the notice of Fishery Advisory Committees, for more
than two years, the TCT has also made many direct representations to the minister of the
day about the long-standing problems facing the lobster fishery and the need to change
the management arrangements to suit current conditions.
Years of inaction by the Tasmanian Government has threatened the sustainability of this
important fishery and we are very disappointed that the Australian Government has not
attempted to intervene to improve the state management regime.
The overfishing of the large rock lobster that control the population of the long-spined
urchins, Centrostephanus rodgersii, has resulted in urchin numbers increasing and large
areas of habitat being stripped bare of marine plants and other marine life. These socalled
urchin barrens are not only an environmental disaster; they also reduce the
numbers of rock lobster and abalone to such an extent that commercial fisheries are
excluded.
Current management arrangements for the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery not only
threaten Tasmania’s marine environment, they threaten recreational fishing as well much
of the commercial Tasmanian abalone fishery and an important part of the commercial
rock lobster fishery itself. Urchin barrens not only eliminate important rich marine
habitats, they all but eradicate rock lobster and abalone with obvious consequences for
our fisheries.
To give an indication of the severity of the urchin problem, it has been estimated by
marine scientists working on the east coast that 30% of unprotected reef area near
Bicheno has already been damaged by long-spined urchins. In contrast, inside the local
marine protected area large rock lobster appear to be controlling urchin numbers and reef
damage is estimated to be around 0.3%.
Because of our grave concern for the underwater environment and the future of the
recreational and commercial rock lobster and abalone fisheries, the TCT has been calling
for changes to management, such as the introduction of a maximum size limit to protect
large lobsters that are able to predate on the urchins, together with a reduced and more
directed catch to allow rock lobster stocks and damaged areas to recover. Based on
advice by marine scientists, this needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
Our position with respect to the EPBC export approval is that it should require effective
management strategies to deal with the threats posed by urchin barrens and declining
stocks. In summary, the TCT is advocating this measure to prevent a collapse of the
underwater environment and the consequent loss of important fisheries. We wish to
prevent irreparable environmental damage and see sustainable rock lobster and abalone
fisheries in Tasmania. Our concern is that unless sensible measures are taken soon, we
will see fisheries collapse and catastrophic environmental damage, with little hope of
revival once productive reefs are converted to urchin barrens.
For further information see ‘TCT submission to the Environmental Assessment on the
Rock Lobster Fishery under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999’, by Jon Bryan, December 2011, available on the TCT website (www.tct.org) in
the Submissions section.
• Earlier on Tasmanian Times: Correcting media misrepresentations
