Recfishwest submission:- Use of pot winches to lift recreational rock lobster pots - January 2009

Mr Jim McKiernan JP
Chairman
Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee
C/- Department of Fisheries
3rd Floor, The Atrium
168-170 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000

Dear Jim

Re The use of pot winches to lift recreational rock lobster pots

I refer to your letter, 18 November 2008, requesting Recfishwest's position on the use of pot winches by recreational rock lobster fishers. The Board of Recfishwest discussed this issue at our December meeting and have formed the position that the use of pot winches to lift recreational rock lobster pots should be permitted.

The proposed prohibition against recreational rock lobster fishers using pot winches was put forward as a potential trade-off for a greater spatial share of the inshore shallower waters to the recreational sector during the "whites run" and the foregoing of the off-shore deeper waters to the commercial sector. This spatial allocation is still viewed as a priority for Recfishwest for the rock lobster fishery under IFM.

However, given the recreational sector catch is significantly less than their allocation even before the recent bag and possession limit reductions, Recfishwest does not support any further restrictions on the recreational sector at this time.

Recfishwest looks forward to progressing rock lobster resource allocation issues with IFAAC.

Yours sincerely

Frank Prokop
Executive Director
12 January 2009

CC Doug Bathgate, Chairman RFAC

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This page prepared on 15 March 2009.