Notes on the development of the new 2011 Area-disaggregation OMP for West Coast rock lobster

Abstract

The current OMP (OMP 2007 re-cast) for West Coast Rock Lobster provides TACs for each of the five super-areas on an annual basis. This OMP has been used to advise management of suitable TACs for a three year period (2008-2010)1 This OMP uses data (trap and hoop CPUE, FIMS, somatic growth rate) from each area, combines these data into a single index (for each data type), produces a global TAC, and then uses a series of rules to split this global TAC into TACs at the superarea level. At the same time, estimates of recreational catch for each super-area are taken into account, as well as ensuring that super-area TACs will allow the allocations to the near-shore rights holders to be taken each year.