Anger over commercial versus recreational access to East Coast

It’s now time for recreational fishers to grab a rock lobster or two but questions remain over access to rebuilding zone on Tasmania’s east coast.

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TASMANIA’S recreational rock lobster season has opened in all areas except the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone.

The season opened outside of the zone on Sunday for recreational fishers. Commercial operators can go out from November 15.

Recreational fishers can access the ECSBZ which stretches from Eddystone Point to the Southern tip of Bruny Island – from December 5 with commercial fishing allowed in just three days later.

Images supplied by Tasmania Police showing the measuring of rock lobster. Picture: TASMANIA POLICE

The small difference in time frame has frustrated the Tasmanian Association for Recreational Fishing which says recreational fishers continued to pick up the tab for commercial overfishing on the State’s East Coast.

Recreational fishers take just four per cent of the total allowable catch rate in Tasmania and the association had asked for recreational fishers to have two weeks extra access to the East Coast zone.

A rock lobster pot licence​ allows you to use on pot, a rock lobster dive licence​ ​allows you to take rock lobster by hand, and a rock lobster ring licence​ to use up to four rings.

Fishers cannot possess female lobster smaller than 120mm​ inside the North West Zone or when transiting from outside the Zone to inside it.

The bag limit in the east is two, five in the North West and two in the north Bass Strait zone.