East Coast Translocation
Since 2015, the Tasmanian Government has funded a Rock Lobster Translocation Program to support the
East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone.
Over the first three years of the program from 2015-2018, 145,000 lobsters were translocated.
In 2018, the program was funded at $75,000 per year for a further four years through to 2022. This will enable 25,000 - 30,000 lobsters to be translocated each year.
In total 229,500 lobsters have been translocated to the east coast under the Tasmanian Government funded program.
Translocation increases productivity and biomass in an area by moving lobsters from slow growing, deep water areas in the south west to faster growth inshore east coast areas.
Rock lobsters from the south coast are translocated to East Coast release locations
Funding
This program is funded by the Government, overseen by a Governance Committee with representatives from DPIPWE, IMAS, TARFish and the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishermans Association (TRLFA). The on-water translocation is undertaken by commercial rock lobster fishers and coordinated by the TRLFA.
East coast rock lobster translocation areas 2015- 2022
Release locations
A total of 229,500 lobsters have been translocated to sites from Eddystone Point to Tasman Island.
The release locations for each year are shown on the map.
West Coast Translocation
The TRLFA is also undertaking a translocation program funded by the commercial rock lobster industry to boost productivity on the West Coast, in total 772,500 rock lobsters have been translocated under this program since 2014.