Australian lobster fisheries recovering

Almost five years ago, Basil Lenzo was in a state of shock, reeling from a Barnett Government decision to slash the number of rock lobsters he and other operators could take from West Australia waters.

Faced with evidence that the lucrative fishery was on the verge of collapse after years of heavy fishing, then fisheries minister Norman Moore practically halved the allowable catch in one of his first acts in the portfolio.

Moore defended the decision at the time as vital after an unprecedented fall in the number of baby lobsters.

But it was seen as a betrayal in the State's AUD 200 million rock lobster industry.

Indeed, it forced many operators to the wall and delivered a crippling blow to small coastal communities that depended heavily on the economic activity it created.

From Augusta in the south to the Abrolhos Islands in the north, a fleet of 460 vessels would be whittled down to 260, taking hundreds of jobs and dreams with them.

Although the anguish of the upheaval has yet to wash away for some fishermen, Mr Lenzo, of Two Rocks, is among a growing number to say the tide is finally turning for the industry.

"One thing I've really noticed in the past six months is that confidence has been renewed in the industry," he said.

"And one side effect of that is that the asset values have gone up because we are optimistic again that there is a future in this industry."

Click here to read the full story from The West Australian >

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