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Confidential
Economic snap shot of the WA
fishing industry
Prepared for the WA Fishing Industry Council
February 2010
Reliance and Disclaimer
The professional analysis and advice in this report has been prepared by ACIL Tasman for the exclusive use of the
party or parties to whom it is addressed (the addressee) and for the purposes specified in it. This report is supplied
in good faith and reflects the knowledge, expertise and experience of the consultants involved. The report must not
be published, quoted or disseminated to any other party without ACIL Tasman‘s prior written consent. ACIL
Tasman accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action
as a result of reliance on the report, other than the addressee.
In conducting the analysis in this report ACIL Tasman has endeavoured to use what it considers is the best
information available at the date of publication, including information supplied by the addressee. Unless stated
otherwise, ACIL Tasman does not warrant the accuracy of any forecast or prediction in the report. Although ACIL
Tasman exercises reasonable care when making forecasts or predictions, factors in the process, such as future market
behaviour, are inherently uncertain and cannot be forecast or predicted reliably.
ACIL Tasman shall not be liable in respect of any claim arising out of the failure of a client investment to perform to
the advantage of the client or to the advantage of the client to the degree suggested or assumed in any advice or
forecast given by ACIL Tasman.
ACIL Tasman Pty Ltd
ABN 68 102 652 148 Internet www.aciltasman.com.au
Melbourne (Head Office) Level 6, 224-236 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Telephone (+61 3) 9604 4400 Facsimile (+61 3) 9600 3155 Email [email protected]
Darwin Suite G1, Paspalis Centrepoint 48-50 Smith Street Darwin NT 0800 GPO Box 908 Darwin NT 0801
Telephone (+61 8) 8943 0643 Facsimile (+61 8) 8941 0848 Email [email protected]
Brisbane Level 15, 127 Creek Street Brisbane QLD 4000 GPO Box 32 Brisbane QLD 4001
Telephone (+61 7) 3009 8700 Facsimile (+61 7) 3009 8799 Email [email protected]
Perth Centa Building C2, 118 Railway Street West Perth WA 6005
Telephone (+61 8) 9449 9600 Facsimile (+61 8) 9322 3955 Email [email protected]
Canberra Level 1, 33 Ainslie Place Canberra City ACT 2600 GPO Box 1322 Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone (+61 2) 6103 8200 Facsimile (+61 2) 6103 8233 Email [email protected]
Sydney PO Box 1554 Double Bay NSW 1360
Telephone (+61 2) 9389 7842 Facsimile (+61 2) 8080 8142 Email [email protected]
For information on this report
Please contact:
Peter Johnson Telephone (08) 9456 2211 Email [email protected]
Contributing team members:
Grant Coble-Neal Rosie McKenzie Jonathan Piper-Green
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
iii
Contents
Executive summary v
1 Introduction 1
2 Study Approach 3
2.1 Method of Analysis 3
2.2 Data 4
3 Summary of the WA fishing industry 5
3.1 Wild catch industry 5
4 The WA Rock Lobster industry 14
4.1 Location 14
4.2 Governance 14
4.3 Value chain 15
4.4 Profile 15
4.5 Production 17
4.5.1 Catch 17
4.5.2 Processing 21
4.6 Exports 22
4.7 Issues 22
4.7.1 Low settlement and recruitment 23
4.7.2 Impacts 23
5 The WA aquaculture industry 26
6 Estimates of economic impact 28
7 Conclusion 31
8 Bibliography 32
List of figures
Figure 1 Relative shares of volume and value across species groups in the WA wild catch fishing industry 13
Figure 2 Rock Lobster value chain 15 Figure 3 Map of WA rock lobster industry 16 Figure 4 Total rock lobster volumes by zone 18 Figure 5 Harvest rate as a proportion of total legal harvest (zone A) 18 Figure 6 Average catch per pot (kg) by concession 19 Figure 7 Ex-vessel prices for rock lobsters 20 Figure 8 Approximate market value for Western Rock Lobster pots 20 Figure 9 Production by product for the Rock Lobster Industry 21
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
iv
Figure 10 Variable cost shares of fishing inputs 24
List of tables
Table 1 Fishing industry employment by place of work, full time equivalent jobs 5
Table 2 Volume and value of the Kimberley wild catch fishing industry 6 Table 3 Volume and value of the Pilbara wild catch fishing industry 6 Table 4 Volume and value of the Gascoyne wild catch fishing industry 7 Table 5 Volume and value of the Mid West wild catch fishing industry 8 Table 6 Volume and value of the Wheatbelt wild catch fishing industry 8 Table 7 Volume and value of the Perth wild catch fishing industry 9 Table 8 Volume and value of the Peel wild catch fishing industry 10 Table 9 Volume and value of the South West wild catch fishing industry 10 Table 10 Volume and value of the Great Southern wild catch fishing
industry 11 Table 11 Volume and value of the Esperance wild catch fishing industry 11 Table 12 Key statistics for the Western Rock Lobster Industry 17 Table 13 Rock lobster exports from WA 22 Table 14 Small community fishing employment profile 24 Table 15 WA aquaculture production by volume 26 Table 16 WA aquaculture production by value ($’000) 27 Table 17 Industry value-added at factor cost ($ millions) 28 Table 18 Total industry value added at factor cost – direct plus indirect ($
million) 29 Table 19 Fishing industry direct plus indirect employment by place of work,
full time equivalent jobs 30
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Executive summary v
Executive summary
The Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) commissioned
ACIL Tasman to estimate the contribution of the fishing, pearling and
aquaculture industry (‗fishing industry‘) to the Western Australian economy. Of
particular interest was the importance of the industry to small communities
located around the State. The study found that if the fishing industry is allowed
to languish, the impact would be significant on many of these small regional
communities.
Input-output analysis was used to capture the interdependence between the
fishing industry and other industries within the State, both in direct and
indirect forms. From an economic impact perspective, the study found that:
• the WA fishing industry creates $295.9 million in value-added for the state;
• rock lobster contributes the largest portion of value-added, totalling
$145.1 million (49 per cent);
• the Mid West region is the single largest regional contributor to value-
added with $92.2 million (31 per cent); and
• when flow-on benefits are included, the total contribution of the industry
to the WA economy is $817.8 million.
The study concludes that the industry is currently confronting significant
challenges, particularly in the Western Rock Lobster industry. As the fishing
industry is a significant employer in many small coastal communities –
particularly in the Gascoyne, Mid West and Wheatbelt regions – a contraction
of the fishing industry would lead to significant impacts at the small
community level and, in some cases, even at the regional level.
WA Fishing Industry
The Western Australian fishing industry comprises both wild harvest and
aquaculture (including pearling). The study highlighted the importance of
fishing to many regions of Western Australia. Of all the regions, the Mid West
region has the highest levels of employment at 952 full-time equivalent jobs
(FTEs). The Gascoyne, Kimberley and Perth regions also have significant
employment in the industry. Total direct employment across the state totals
over 4,300. When the flow-on effects are included, direct plus indirect
employment is estimated to exceed 9,800.
Wild Catch Fishing Industry
Across regions there are signs of decline in production in the wild catch
industry, averaging 29 per cent. The only species group showing positive
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Executive summary vi
growth is molluscs. (Wild catch of pearl oysters, has also shown significant
increases; however, this sector is included with aquaculture.)
On a region by region basis:
• Fish and prawns dominate the wild catch sector in the Kimberly region
− Pearl oyster fishing is also a significant contributor to the Kimberley,
but for the purposes of this report is included with the aquaculture
industry.
• The Pilbara region is heavily dependent on fish, with fish production
accounting for more than 90 per cent of production volume.
• The Gascoyne region has a more even spread across species groups.
• The Mid West region accounts for 40 per cent of the State‘s wild catch
production.
• The Wheatbelt has small production but is the second largest producer of
rock lobster behind the Mid West.
• Perth accounts for 10 per cent of the wild catch industry, with rock lobsters
featuring prominently.
• Crustaceans production is prominent in the Peel region.
• Fish are the primary produce of the South West.
• There is declining production in the Great Southern region, primarily as a
result of declining fish production.
• Esperance produces finfish and their production has been relatively stable.
Western Rock Lobster Industry
Rock lobsters account for the largest portion of the wild catch industry in
terms of value and is second largest in terms of volume. Commercial fishing
for Western Rock Lobster is limited by the number of licences and pots that
are allowed to be used in fishery. There are currently 28,100 active pots (41 per
cent of total entitlements) in the fishery and 399 boats. The rock lobster
industry also includes 6 processing plants employing a total of 800-1,000
people (part-time and full-time). There are six processing and exporting
companies servicing the WA rock lobster industry.
The Western Rock Lobster fishery is worth between $200-600 million a year
and is the most valuable single species fishery in Australia, with an average
catch of 10,800 tonnes a year representing around 20 per cent of the total value
of Australia‘s fisheries.
The study found that declining production volumes is clearly evident. As the
most significant single species fishery in Australia, the sustainability of the
Western Rock Lobster industry is essential. Despite careful management, rock
lobster stocks are expected to reach record lows. In addition to declining
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Executive summary vii
stocks, the rock lobster industry has sustained reductions in value caused by
reductions in unit prices.
Below average puerulus settlement was observed in most locations in the West
Coast rock lobster fishery in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 which recorded the
lowest settlement on record. These low settlements will have a major impact
on the catch of rock lobsters three and four years after settlement,
commencing in 2009-10. With the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the
extremely low puerulus settlements, the increased uncertainty in the predicted
catch and associated breeding stock beyond the 2011 season, reduced catches
will continue into future seasons. It is expected that total annual catch for the
fishery would be 5,500 – 6,000 tonnes in the 2009-10 season, with the annual
catches expected to stay at this level for the next few years.
The bulk of Rock Lobster exports in 2006-07 were to Japan, Taiwan, Hong
Kong/China and the United States. The main products exported are live
product to Asia and whole frozen lobster and tails to the United States and
Europe.
The study anticipates that reductions in production would have a significant
impact on local communities via reductions in household income for crew
members. Upstream fishing boat suppliers would also be significantly affected.
WA Pearling and Aquaculture Industry
The WA pearling and aquaculture industry accounts for 28 per cent of the
entire WA fishing industry by value. In terms of value, pearl production is by
far the most important product, generating revenue of $113 million in 2007-08.
Amongst the produce of the industry, marron and koi carp have shown strong
growth in production volumes, whilst mussels, yabbies and ornamental fish
and crustaceans have experienced declining production volumes.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Introduction 1
1 Introduction
This report was commissioned by the Western Australian Fishing Industry
Council (WAFIC) to estimate the contribution of the fishing, pearling and
aquaculture industry (the ‗fishing industry‘) to the State economy. A particular
point of interest is the impact on small communities located around the State.
This is the first report of what is anticipated will be a series of reports
produced periodically to document important economic changes in the
industry over time. For the purpose of this report, the fishing industry includes
wild catch fisheries and pearling/aquaculture (which includes all pearling
activities, from the wild catch of pearl oysters to the cultivation of pearls).
The main purpose for the economic snapshot is to provide initial information
on industry development to policy makers about the Western Australian
fishing industry. The WA fishing industry is currently facing a number of
significant challenges and needs a robust background data set that informs
industry and government decision makers.
The nature of these challenges is diverse, spanning both economic and
biological issues. For example, the Western Australia fishing industry has
experienced the most significant economic downturn in its history. If the
industry is allowed to languish, the impact could be devastating on many small
regional communities.
As a first step to confronting these challenges, it is critical that over this
adjustment period industry and government decision makers have a clear
understanding of the socio economic impact of the downturn, and its drivers.
This fundamental data will underpin decision making on crucial issues which
have potentially significant implications for the industry‘s long term recovery
and its future growth.
The WA fishing industry is comprised of two main components:
• The wild harvest industry
• The pearling and aquaculture industry.
As the term implies, the wild harvest industry refers to the harvesting of finfish
and crustaceans, among other types, that occur naturally in onshore and
offshore marine environments. By contrast, the pearling and aquaculture
industry is concerned with the cultivation of aquatic organisms. Pearling, which
for this study is included with aquaculture, includes a wild harvesting
component in the collection of pearl oysters.
The following sections provide an outline of the industry and the economic
impacts both at a State and regional level. In presenting the regional level
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Introduction 2
results, we have reported according to the economic regions as defined by
development commission boundaries.
The report is structured as follows:
Section 2 describes the approach (or method) adopted in this study.
Section 3 presents a summary of the WA wild catch fishing industry.
Section 4 provides a basic case study of the Western Rock Lobster industry.
Section 5 discussed the WA pearling and aquaculture industry.
Section 6 then provides the results of our input-output analysis.
Section 7 concludes the report.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Study Approach 3
2 Study Approach
2.1 Method of Analysis
A key method of analysis adopted in this report is input-output analysis. An
input-output table provides a summary, or a ―snapshot‖, of the transactions
occurring within an economy over a selected period. An input-output table is
based on the fundamental notion that industries are inter-dependent.
In simple terms an input-output table shows, for a given industry, which other
industries it purchases from and to which other industries it sells. Input-output
multipliers, derived from input-output tables, represent the extent of the inter-
dependence between industries. Input-output multipliers are summary
measures that can be used for estimating the impact on all industries in the
economy from changes in demand for the output of any one industry. Input-
output tables can also be used to measure the relative importance of different
industries in an economy.
The underlying concept of the input-output approach is to trace the
expenditure and value-adding that occurs within an industry. In thinking about
the fishing industry, this involves tracking purchases of inputs such as labour,
materials (e.g. bait, feed), energy (e.g. diesel, electricity), and services (e.g.
accountants, financial advice, legal services). It is these economic linkages
(from supplying industries to the producing industry) that generate the so-
called multiplier effects. Thus, the economic effects can be considered as being
comprised of direct and indirect (i.e. consequential flow-on) effects. The
expansion or contraction of the fishing industry will invariably lead to larger
economic impacts on communities dependent on the fishing industry.
The stages of production defined in this study are:
• Beach/farm gate value
• Net value of local processing.
The boundaries between the fisheries industry and other industries have been
sharply defined in this study. For example, we exclude the net value of local
retail and food service trade and the value of local transport. This contrasts
with other studies such as Econsearch (2007).
Estimates of direct and flow-on economic indicators are reported by:
• Contribution to Gross State Product (GSP)
• Employment.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Study Approach 4
Value of output measures the revenue of goods and services produced by
private sector firms within the fishing industry. Contribution to GSP is a
measure of the net value (i.e. value of output minus cost of goods and services
used to produce the output) of the fishing industry to WA‘s economy.
Employment measures the number of full-time equivalent workers in the
industry.
These measures are divided into direct and flow-on effects. Direct effects
measure the first-round effects generated by the fishing industry. The flow-on
effects measure the second, third, fourth etc round cumulative impact of
production-based economic activity induced by the fishing industry. The sum
of the direct and flow-on effects gives the total impact.
2.2 Data
Data has been obtained primarily from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the
WA Department of Fisheries and from representatives of the WA fishing
industry. Supplementary data has also been obtained from ABARE.
These data span the value and employment generated by the WA fishing
industry. Aggregation in data tends to obscure the regional and small
community contributions. Where possible, we have supplemented the official
data with industry knowledge and informal surveys.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 5
3 Summary of the WA fishing industry
Estimates of employment in the WA fishing industry are presented in Table 1.
These data are derived from various sources including the WA Fishing
Industry Council, the State of the Fisheries Report 2007-08 (WA Department
of Fisheries) and from various industry representatives. Table 1 shows that the
Mid West region has the highest levels of employment, at 952 FTE (full-time
equivalent jobs). Other regions with significant employment are Gascoyne,
Kimberley and Perth.
It should be noted that Table 1 does not include the employment found in the
Western Australian Department of Fisheries, which is up to 450 full time
equivalent positions.
Table 1 Fishing industry employment by place of work, full time equivalent jobs
Region Rock
Lobster
Prawns Other
Marine
Fishing
Aquaculture
(including
pearling)
Processing Total
industry
Gascoyne 0 114 181 25 230 550
Goldfields -
Esperance 67 0 80 0 2 150
Great Southern 0 0 64 91 13 169
Kimberley 0 73 134 586 0 793
Mid West 712 0 137 12 91 952
Peel 37 0 93 8 0 138
Pilbara 0 22 268 0 0 289
South West 70 0 113 75 0 258
Wheatbelt 321 0 62 8 0 391
Perth 160 0 83 36 368 647
Western Australia 1,367 209 1,215 841 704 4,337
3.1 Wild catch industry
In terms of value and production, Table 2 to Table 11 provide a detailed
summary of wild catch production by both volume and value across regions.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 6
The Kimberley wild catch fishing industry produces mainly fish, with prawns
the next most significant industry. Note that prawn volumes have been
declining, with 2007-08 production just 31 per cent of 2003-04 levels; however,
this has been offset by steadily improving volumes of fish. In total, the industry
Table 2 Volume and value of the Kimberley wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 1,335 1,879 1,501 1,466 1,733 6,608 8,915 7,425 7,500 8,637
Crabs 1 1 4 8 6 9 10 53 111 87
Prawns 583 469 428 154 180 5,379 4,246 3,791 1,376 1,405
Rock Lobsters - . . . . - . . . .
Other
Crustaceans 5 3 2 1 1 50 35 21 11 5
Molluscs1
3 - - 1 1 14 2 - 6 2
Other Classes 20 81 58 55 17 59 243 175 164 52
Total 1,947 2,433 1,993 1,685 1,938 12,119 13,451 11,465 9,168 10,188
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Note: 1) not including pearl oysters
Table 3 Volume and value of the Pilbara wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 3,749 3,532 2,962 2,549 2,037 12,277 11,876 10,434 9,013 7,650
Crabs 64 47 56 67 18 272 201 238 285 75
Prawns 384 266 252 137 124 4,385 2,949 2,412 1,302 999
Other Crustaceans 19 25 13 9 5 193 250 130 87 51
Molluscs 1,010 66 45 28 29 3,681 143 93 59 62
Other Classes 67 10 8 25 10 200 29 24 75 30
Total 5,293 3,946 3,336 2,815 2,223 21,008 15,448 13,331 10,821 8,867
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 7
is worth an average of $11.3 million per year. It should be noted that the
Kimberley wild catch figures in Table 2 do not include the wild harvest of pearl
oysters in the Kimberley. Wild harvest pearl oysters are included in the pearling
and aquaculture in Section 5.
The Pilbara wild catch industry is also heavily dependent on fish production,
accounting for more than 90 per cent of volume and 86 per cent of value in
2007-08 (Table 3). Prawn fishing is the next largest industry sector. The total
Pilbara wild catch industry generated $8.9 million in 2007-08, a 58 per cent
decline since 2003-04.
Compared with the Kimberley and the Pilbara, The Gascoyne‘s fisheries
production is more evenly spread across species groups. Table 4 shows that
almost half of production can be attributed to molluscs by volume in 2007-08.
This represents an increase in share from 25 per cent in 2003-04 but it should
be noted that scallop harvests (the major contributor to mollusc production)
can vary dramatically dependent upon environmental conditions. The share
increase of molluscs is due partly to increasing volumes, but also to decreasing
fish production. Prawns account for slightly more than half of total Gascoyne
production by value.
Table 4 Volume and value of the Gascoyne wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 1,715 1,616 1,147 874 877 7,400 7,046 5,486 4,134 4,064
Crabs 707 899 806 904 902 4,322 5,136 4,454 5,262 5,166
Prawns 2,809 2,868 2,738 2,304 2,317 35,090 36,271 32,593 25,889 24,951
Rock Lobsters . 12 . . 7 . 258 . . 167
Other
Crustaceans 3 2 3 2 4 26 20 28 24 43
Molluscs 1,790 1,646 1,463 2,304 3,750 6,373 5,636 4,880 8,220 13,488
Other Classes . . . 1 . . . . 2 .
Total 7,024 7,043 6,157 6,389 7,857 53,211 54,367 47,441 43,531 47,879
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 8
In value terms, the Mid West region accounts for 40 per cent of total State wild
catch production (Table 5). This is almost exclusively due to rock lobster
production. Across all regions, the Mid West accounts for the largest share of
rock lobster production (40 per cent in 2007-08).
Although substantially smaller in production and value, the Wheatbelt is also a
significant producer of rock lobsters. By volume, the region is the second
largest producer of rock lobster behind the Mid West. The region is also highly
Table 5 Volume and value of the Mid West wild catch fishing industry
Species
group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 2,510 2,508 2,453 1,290 863 6,493 6,986 6,445 4,301 3,699
Crabs 19 13 27 9 . 212 171 347 111 .
Prawns 26 13 . . . 301 135 . . .
Rock
Lobsters 5,385 5,425 5,006 4,930 4,898 102,322 116,632 140,176 140,502 118,529
Other
Crustaceans 1 - . . . 7 5 . . .
Molluscs 615 5,418 1,455 131 1,288 2,364 18,821 5,141 640 4,732
Total 8,556 13,377 8,941 6,360 7,049 111,699 142,750 152,109 145,554 126,960
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Table 6 Volume and value of the Wheatbelt wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 140 116 106 65 42 610 667 631 435 236
Crabs 3 24 . . . 42 318 . . .
Rock Lobsters 3,343 3,124 2,991 2,241 2,525 63,511 67,157 83,759 63,874 61,110
Molluscs 34 33 31 36 34 93 91 85 99 93
Total 3,520 3,297 3,128 2,342 2,601 64,256 68,233 84,475 64,408 61,439
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 9
specialised in this species group and thus may be vulnerable to adverse shocks,
such as declining production. Indeed, the data in Table 6 suggests a declining
trend.
Perth accounts for 10 per cent of the State wild catch industry by value,
following a declining trend from 17 per cent in 2003-04. Rock lobsters feature
prominently.
Table 7 Volume and value of the Perth wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 1,400 888 734 453 141 1,983 2,019 1,588 894 317
Crabs 254 157 124 67 59 1,565 877 891 656 578
Prawns 32 8 . - - 336 78 . 1 -
Rock Lobsters 3,231 2,416 1,610 1,064 1,211 61,381 51,951 45,081 30,319 29,312
Other
Crustaceans 1 - . - . 8 3 . - .
Molluscs 173 117 115 128 111 1,450 1,345 1,304 1,213 1,012
Total 5,091 3,586 2,583 1,712 1,522 66,723 56,273 48,864 33,083 31,219
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 10
The Peel region production (Table 8) appears to be declining. Across species
groups, crustaceans (crabs, prawns and rock lobsters) account for 71 per cent
of total production in 2007-08.
Table 9 indicates that fish are the primary produce in the South West wild
catch industry. Total production volume has decreased by 62 per cent since
2005-06. Value has declined by 59 per cent over the same period.
Table 8 Volume and value of the Peel wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 227 185 200 168 127 660 682 748 589 320
Crabs 65 80 77 106 91 276 341 327 452 388
Prawns 16 12 15 5 7 212 161 187 53 75
Rock Lobsters 924 635 444 250 232 17,548 13,650 12,433 7,137 5,621
Other
Crustaceans - - - - - 1 - - - -
Molluscs 13 18 10 10 9 40 51 29 28 26
Total 1,245 930 746 539 466 18,737 14,885 13,724 8,259 6,430
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Table 9 Volume and value of the South West wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 1,969 1,984 2,457 1,403 922 3,699 4,203 4,753 3,354 2,603
Crabs 26 24 12 23 22 110 147 139 99 231
Rock Lobsters 817 642 344 114 71 15,537 13,826 9,613 3,232 1,708
Molluscs 94 94 92 80 75 3,792 3,749 3,825 3,098 2,892
Total 2,906 2,744 2,905 1,620 1,090 23,138 21,925 18,330 9,783 7,434
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 11
Decline in production volume is also evident in the Great Southern (Table 10).
Total volume is down 23 per cent from 2003-04 to 2007-08. This decline is
driven largely by declining fish production. Crustacean production has
remained relatively stable.
Table 10 Volume and value of the Great Southern wild catch fishing industry
Species group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 3,593 2,492 3,089 2,701 2,816 3,592 3,580 3,747 3,754 4,018
Crabs 25 16 14 17 23 405 201 181 208 285
Rock Lobsters 3 15 3 17 10 77 331 66 483 251
Other
Crustaceans - . . . . 3 . . . .
Molluscs 94 47 55 24 25 830 826 1,011 519 477
Total 3,715 2,570 3,161 2,759 2,874 4,907 4,938 5,005 4,964 5,031
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Table 11 Volume and value of the Esperance wild catch fishing industry
Species
group Volume (Tonnes) Value ($ ‘000s)
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7S
2007-0
8S
2003-0
4
2004-0
5
2005-0
6
2006-0
7
2007-0
8
Fish 837 679 724 655 923 2,634 2,305 2,452 2,569 3,374
Crabs 7 8 4 6 4 216 244 95 156 88
Rock
Lobsters 41 34 43 51 35 1,058 854 1,114 1,292 887
Other
Crustaceans . . - . . . . 1 . .
Molluscs 261 167 165 219 179 8,725 6,728 6,693 6,520 6,024
Total 1,146 888 936 931 1,141 12,633 10,131 10,355 10,537 10,373
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 12
Finally, the Esperance (Goldfields-Esperance) region shows signs of relative
stability (Table 11). As with the Great Southern, this region primarily produces
finfish product. One other notable feature is that molluscs represent 64 per
cent of total wild catch production value in this region.
Overall trends in the wild catch
Clearly, across regions there are signs of decline, averaging 29 per cent. The
only species group showing positive growth is molluscs, which exhibits growth
of 35 per cent across regions. (The wild catch pearl oyster fishery has also
showed significant growth but is included in the aquaculture sector.) The
decline in market value is less severe, registering 19 per cent across species
groups. Prawns have shown the most severe decline (40 per cent).
Although it is beyond the scope of this report to investigate, probable causes
of the decline are:
• Fluctuations in wild stocks
• Rising input costs, creating a classic profit squeeze over the course of the
boom in the WA resources over the same period.
• External pressure from recreational and conservation groups restricting
access
• Competition from imports (which have become cheaper due to the rising
value of the Australian dollar).
In order to provide an overview of the wild catch industry, Figure 1 presents
pie charts of both volume and value across species groups for 2007-08.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Summary of the WA fishing industry 13
The most notable feature is the rock lobsters account for the largest portion of
the wild catch industry in terms of value and is second largest in terms of
volume.
Figure 1 Relative shares of volume and value across species groups in the WA wild catch fishing industry
FISH37%
CRABS4%
PRAWNS9%
ROCK LOBSTERS31%
OTHER CRUSTACEANS
0%
MOLLUSCS19%
OTHER CLASSES0%
FISH11%
CRABS2%
PRAWNS9%
ROCK LOBSTERS69%
OTHER CRUSTACEANS
0%
MOLLUSCS9%
OTHER CLASSES0%
Volume Value
Note: Based on 2007-08 data
Does not include the harvest of pearl oysters
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 14
4 The WA Rock Lobster industry
Given the prominence of the rock lobster catch, this section provides a brief
discussion of the WA rock lobster industry.
4.1 Location
The fishery is essentially made up of two halves, A and B zones in the North
(Kalbarri, Port Gregory, Abrolhos Islands, Geraldton, Dongara and Leeman)
and C zone in the South (Leeman, Jurien Bay, Cervantes, Lancelin, Seabird,
Two Rocks, Fremantle, Mandurah, Busselton, Dunsborough and Augusta).
The largest rock lobster producing region is the Mid West. This part of the
rock lobster industry forms part of the West Coast Bioregion as defined by the
Western Australian Department of Fisheries. The region runs from north of
Kalbarri to Augusta and includes the Abrolhos Islands. The region is
predominantly a temperate oceanic zone, and is heavily influenced by the
Leeuwin Current, which transports warm tropical water south along the
continental shelf.
4.2 Governance
The Rock Lobster industry is a fishery which is effectively managed by a
coalition of Government and industry under the Fisheries Resources
Management Act. There are several peak bodies that represent the industry
including the:
• Western Rock Lobster Council (WRLC) - represents the Commercial
Western Rock Lobster Fishermen of WA. It was formed in 2001 as a peak
industry body to address issues affecting commercial fishermen in the
Western Rock Lobster Industry.
• Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC) - a statutory advisory
committee established under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and is
designed to identify issues that affect rock lobster fishing; advise the
Minister on the management, protection and development of rock lobster
fisheries; and respond to Ministerial requests for advice on rock lobster
fisheries issues.
Commercial fishing for Western Rock Lobster is limited by the number of
licences and pots that are allowed to be used in the fishery. There are currently
28,100 active pots in the fishery and approximately 399 boats (as of last season,
although boat numbers are expected to decline further next season). There are
also controls on the times fishing is allowed, the size and breeding status of
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 15
lobsters allowed to be caught and the size and type of pots used (Western Rock
Lobster Council). Lobsters are fished using baited pots.
4.3 Value chain
The value chain for the rock lobster industry in Western Australia is
summarised in Figure 2. It comprises of research which determines annual
catch, the catch effort, processing facilities and the distribution of product to
the domestic and international markets. Overlying this is the governance of the
industry.
Figure 2 Rock Lobster value chain
SettlementResearch
Boats
Pots
Employees
Catch
Processors
Employees
Products
ProcessExport
DomesticMarket
GOVERNANCE
Source: ACIL Tasman
4.4 Profile
The rock lobster industry comprises 399 boats, with an allocation of 28,114
active pots(out of 69,038 total pots), 6 processing plants employing a total of
800-1,000 people (part-time and full-time) (see Table 12). There are six
processing and exporting companies servicing the WA rock lobster industry:
1. Bluewave Seafoods
2. Geraldton Fisherman‘s Co-op.
3. Indian Ocean Rock Lobster
4. Kailis Bros Pty Ltd.
5. Vinci Seafood Exporters Pty Ltd
6. Westralian Seafoods.
Figure 3 presents a map of the Western Rock Lobster fishing zones, ports and
processing facilities. According to Caputi, et al. (2008), the Western Rock
Lobster (Panulirus Cygnus) is fished by three managed fisheries, West Coast
Rock Lobster Managed Fishery, August — Windy Harbour Managed Fishery,
and the South Coast Crustacean Fisheries. Of the three, the West Coast Rock
Lobster Managed Fishery is the largest and the most valuable single species
wild catch fishery in Australia.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 16
Figure 3 Map of WA rock lobster industry
-21.733
1
Zone C
-34.4
Zone B Zone AGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTONGERALDTON
Point SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint SamsonPoint Samson
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KalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarri
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LeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeeman
CervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantesCervantes
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AlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbanyAlbany
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HopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetounHopetoun Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance Esperance
HillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarysHillarys
FremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantleFremantle
1
Zone C
Zone B Zone A
KalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarriKalbarri
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GeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldtonGeraldton
Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison Port Denison
LeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeemanLeeman
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Ports
Rock Lobster
Processing Plants
Data source: (Western Rock Lobster Council)
As indicated in the map, the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery is
managed in three zones. Zone A encompasses the Abrolhos Islands, Zone B is
north of latitude 30 degrees south, and Zone C is south of 30 degrees south
(Department of Fisheries, 2008, p. 15).
The rock lobster fishery is currently operating an average of 70 pots per boat
and 399 boats. Boat numbers have been in steady decline from 704 in 1989-90
(Huddleston, 2006, p. 17) and are expected to decline further in the 2009-10
season.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 17
There is substantial infrastructure to support the rock lobster industry at the
Abrolhos islands. In 1998, 22 of the islands were occupied by fishermen, with
approximately 1,200 separate structures, including community facilities,
accommodation, storage, engine and freezer sheds. At this time there were 114
separate jetties, 238 landings and 43 dinghy jetties. Commercial lobster fishing
is the only form of commercial fishing that is permitted to operate in the
Abrolhos Islands and establish camps (Abrolhos Islands Management
Advisory Committee, 1998).
The Abrolhos Islands are home to rock lobster fishermen from March until
June, for the remainder eight months of the year, however, the Abrolhos
remains almost deserted (About Australia, 2009).
The majority of rock lobster fishing vessels typically have a crew of 2 or 3 (a
skipper and one or two deckhands) (International Risk Consultants Group of
Companies , 2009).
Table 12 Key statistics for the Western Rock Lobster Industry
Variable Statistic
Season opening times Western Rock Lobster 15 November – 30 June
Abrolhos Islands 15 March – 30 June
Number of boats 399
Number of boat employees 1,117
Number of processing plants 6
Number of processing employees 800-1,000
Number of pots 18,498 (Zone A), 14,906 (Zone B), 35,634 (Zone C)
Note: Boat employee numbers estimated based on an average of 2.8 crew per boat
Data source: Industry sources and consultant’s estimates
4.5 Production
4.5.1 Catch
The Western Rock Lobster fishery is worth between $200-600 million a year
and is the most valuable single species fishery in Australia, with an average
catch of 10,800 tonnes a year (Western Rock Lobster Council) representing
around 20 per cent of the total value of Australia‘s fisheries. There was a severe
reduction in the catch for the 2007-08 and subsequent season due to low
settlement numbers. Current catches are estimated to be as low as 5,500 tonnes
for the current 2009-10 season.
Production in the zone C has averaged 5,560 tonnes per annum over 2003-04
to 2007-08 representing 52 per cent of the Western Rock Lobster fishery
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 18
(Figure 4). Zone A production has averaged 3,030 tonnes per annum,
representing 28 per cent of production.
Figure 4 Total rock lobster volumes by zone
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Ton
nes
zone A zone B zone C
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Declining volumes is clearly evident with the sharpest trend decline occurring
in zone C. Figure 5 provides insight into harvest rates in zone A as a
proportion of the total legal harvest. The longer-term view indicates that the
harvest rate reached a peak in 2000 and has since trended downwards.
Figure 5 Harvest rate as a proportion of total legal harvest (zone A)
0.76
0.78
0.8
0.82
0.84
0.86
0.88
0.9
0.92
0.94
0.96
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Har
vest
rate
(pro
port
ion
of le
gal b
iom
ass
harv
este
d) Western Rock Lobster Annual Harvest Rates
Source: Fletcher, W.J. and Santoro, K. (eds). 2007. State of the Fisheries Report 2006-07. Department of Fisheries,
Western Australia. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/sof/2006/west%20coast%20bioregion.pdf Accessed 30/07/2009.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 19
As discussed in section 4.7.1, part of the reason for the decline is due to low
recruitment rates and, therefore, declining rock lobster stocks. However, other
factors (particularly economic) may also be influencing the performance.
In order to gauge the longer-term economic sustainability of the WA rock
lobster industry, the next set of figures present time series data relating to
productivity and market performance.
Figure 6 Average catch per pot (kg) by concession
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
1990/91
1991/92
1992/93
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
kg
A Zone B Zone C Zone
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Figure 6 shows the average catch in kilograms per pot by zone. The series
exhibits volatility, particularly in zone C. Average catch has remained relatively
stable over time for zones A and B, suggesting that productivity is being
maintained in these zones. However, zone C productivity has shown a
declining trend since 2003-04. The productivity across all zones, however,
contrasts with other sectors of the economy in which productivity has actually
shown strong growth. This suggests that the combination of effort and pot
reductions among other things has served to maintain relatively flat
productivity.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 20
Figure 7 Ex-vessel prices for rock lobsters
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1990/91
1991/92
1992/93
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
$/kg
A & B Zones ($/kg) C Zone ($/kg)
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Figure 7 shows the ex-vessel prices for rock lobsters across zones. There is
relatively little price difference between zones. Thus, given declining
productivity, zone C fishermen are likely to be experiencing a more
pronounced profit squeeze than fishermen in zones A and B.
Figure 8 Approximate market value for Western Rock Lobster pots
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
1990/91
1992/93
1994/95
1996/97
1998/99
2000/01
2002/03
2004/05
2006/07
2008/09
$ in
thou
sand
s
Zone A & B Low Zone A & B High Zone C Low Zone C High
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Another aspect of economic sustainability is wealth accumulation associated
with the value of productive assets. Rising wealth can provide a significant
source of compensation for owner-operators as well as provide a basis for
industry expansion. Figure 8 shows the range of market values (low and high
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 21
price) for Western Rock Lobster pots in different zones. The chart indicates
steadily rising wealth for pot owners between 1990-91 and 2002-03. Since that
time, however, the market value has experienced a pronounced increase in
volatility. Series peaks were experienced in 2006-07 and have since fallen
sharply.
Comparing the relatively flat price profile (which actually suggests falling real
prices) to the recently volatile market price of pots suggests that the source of
volatility is likely to be factors other than price. Fishermen who have bought
pots during 2006-07 have sustained a pronounced fall in wealth. However, this
might be offset by the prospect of reduced competition in the future as the
concentration of pot ownership increases. If stocks rebuild, reduced
competition may yield higher profits for remaining rock lobster operations.
4.5.2 Processing
The Western Rock Lobster Industry is currently serviced by six processing
companies. These companies purchase live lobsters from the fishermen, and
either process them in facilities located in Geraldton, Cervantes, Ledge Point
and Fremantle or export live.
Major products produced, by share (weight) are:
• Lobster tails 18 percent
• Whole lobsters 30 percent
• Live lobsters 52 percent.
Figure 9 Production by product for the Rock Lobster Industry
Lobster tails18%
Whole lobsters30%
Liv e lobsters52%
Source: Department of Fisheries, personal communication
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 22
4.6 Exports
The bulk of Rock Lobster exports in 2006-07 were exported to Japan, Taiwan,
Hong Kong/China and the United States (Department of Fisheries, 2008). The
main products exported are live product to Asia and frozen lobster tails to the
United States and Europe. Together these two product types make up 70 per
cent of Western Rock Lobster exports.
Table 13 Rock lobster exports from WA
Year Tonnes Value ($’000s)
2005-06 8,218 323,746
2006-07 6,684 284,226
2007-08 6,060 227,410
Data source: ABARE
4.7 Issues
As the most significant single species fishery in Australia, the sustainability of
the Western Rock Lobster industry is essential. In the early 1990s there was
evidence of declining spawning stock, leading experts to conclude that the
fishery is fully exploited (Fernandez, Cross, & Caputi). Analysis of the industry
conducted during the 1990s and 2000s has identified increasing productivity
due to the introduction of technology such as colour echo sounders and GPS
as potential threats to industry sustainability. For example, Fernandez, Cross,
and Caputi reported an increase in catch rates of 13-17 per cent.
In response, management arrangements have been implemented aimed at
restricting the total effort via the Total Allowable Effort system and associated
input controls (Department of Fisheries, 2008, p. 15). Under this system, the
primary control mechanism is the number of pots licensed and the proposed
usage rate. Transfer provisions in licensing allow market forces to determine
the most efficient use of license and pot entitlements. Total number of pots
has been set at 69,038 and the utilisation rate has been limited. Management
also includes protection of females in breeding condition, size limits, and gear
controls.
Despite careful management, rock lobster stocks are now at a record low (ABC
News, 2009). The Government of Western Australia is also considering further
tightening of controls such as reducing the number of fishing days per week
from 6 to 4, additional pot restrictions and changes to legal size limits (Get
Farming Australia, 2009).
In addition to declining stocks, the rock lobster industry has sustained
reductions in value caused by reductions in unit prices. On average, rock
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 23
lobster prices fell by 9 per cent in WA. ABARE cite the strength of the
Australian dollar as a factor contributing to this.
4.7.1 Low settlement and recruitment
Below average puerulus settlement was observed in most locations in the West
Coast rock lobster fishery in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 which recorded the
lowest settlement on record. These low settlements will have a major impact
on the catch of rock lobsters three and four years after settlement,
commencing in 2009-10 (Department of Fisheries, 2009, p. 1).
In response to this low settlement, management action in the form of a
reduction in fishing effort was taken during the 2008-09 season to limit the
commercial rock lobster catch with the aim of maintaining rock lobster
breeding stock levels. The result was a reduction in the predicted catch from
9,200 to 7,800 tonnes.
With the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the extremely low puerulus
settlements, the increased uncertainty in the predicted catch and associated
breeding stock beyond the 2011 season, reduced catches will continue into
future seasons. It is expected that total annual catch for the fishery would be
5,500 - 6000 tonnes in the 2009-10 season, with the annual catches remaining
at this level for the next few years.
4.7.2 Impacts
At the community level, the impact of changes to rock lobster production can
be gauged by inspecting cost share data of the inputs. Figure 10 shows the
major cost categories associated with rock lobster fishing boats.
The main inputs are wages, fuel and bait. The value chain also extends to
repairs and maintenance of boats. Based on this information, we can anticipate
that reductions in production would have a significant impact on local
communities via reductions in household income for crew members. Upstream
fishing boat suppliers would also be significantly affected.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 24
Figure 10 Variable cost shares of fishing inputs
Bait10%
Fuel & oil19%
General boat expenses
2%
Harbour fees and licences
11%
Repairs & maintenance
6%
Wages48%
Superannuation4%
Data source: (Western Rock Lobster Council Inc., 2007, p. 27)
Total wage expenditure across fishing boats is estimated at approximately
$37.3 million.1 Total expenditure is estimated to be $77.7 million. Much of that
expenditure is likely to be expended directly in small local fishing communities.
A 10 per cent reduction in pots utilised could lead to a reduction in wages of
around $3.7 million. Across all variable expenditure, the first-round impact
would be a loss of $7.8 million to communities.
The flow-on economic impact of a 10 per cent contraction in the Western
Rock Lobster industry would vary according to community size and diversity
of economic activity. Table 14 provides an indication of the dependence on the
industry by each of the small communities in which the Western Rock Lobster
industry has a significant presence.
Table 14 Small community fishing employment profile
Community Persons employed in
agric. & fishing to total
employed persons
Persons employed in
agric & fishing to
population
Kalbarri 7% 3%
Dongara 13% 5%
Leeman 12% 6%
Green Head 16% 6%
Jurien Bay 6% 3%
Cervantes 9% 3%
Lancelin 18% 6%
Ledge Point 39% 16%
Note: employed persons
Data source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
1 Calculations assumed number of pots used is 70 and number of boats is 399. We also
assumed average wages of $1,336 per pot with an additional $120 in superannuation.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA Rock Lobster industry 25
Ledge Point has the highest dependence, with 39 per cent of persons within
the community employed in primary production. Much, if not all, are likely to
be employed directly in the Western Rock Lobster industry.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA pearling and aquaculture industry 26
5 The WA pearling and aquaculture industry
The WA pearling and aquaculture is a significant industry, accounting for 28
per cent of the entire WA fishing industry by value. The structure of the
industry is summarised in Table 15 and Table 16.
Table 15 WA aquaculture production by volume
Common name Units 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Mussels Tonnes 765 730 765 622 481
Barramundi Tonnes 295 284 19 43 366
Marron Tonnes 44 51 55 65 60
Yabbies Tonnes 72 74 69 88 61
Silver Perch Tonnes 39 20 21 26 16
Ornamental Fish and
Crustaceans
Number
71,982 47,118 68,876 61,170 51,288
Rainbow Trout Tonnes 17 21 30 12 14
Gold Fish Number 33,451 39,384 33,151 32,818 33,918
Koi Carp Number 17,003 47,118 20,453 17,876 35,620
Pearl oysters Number 405,000 488,300 467,400 600,700 670,000
Note: * Industry figures have not been included where there are less than five productive licensees in a category to protect the confidentiality of individual producers. Also note that Pearling is not included in the above table Data source: Department of Fisheries
Table 15 shows volume across the types of pearling and aquaculture product.
Several products have been excluded from the table due to confidentiality
restrictions. These include: algae, other types of molluscs, marine crustaceans,
miscellaneous types of finfish, and pearls (although the harvesting of pearl
oysters has been include for illustrative purposes). Of those published in the
table, it is clear that several products have experienced declining production
since 2003-04. These include: mussels, silver perch, yabbies and ornamental
fish and crustaceans. Other product lines (marron, pearl oysters and koi carp)
have shown strong growth in production.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
The WA pearling and aquaculture industry 27
Table 16 WA pearling and aquaculture production by value ($’000)
Common name 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Mussels 2,071 2,089 2,159 1,812 1,531
Barramundi 1,904 1,526 163 467 3,870
Marron 1,015 1,200 1,364 1,602 1,637
Yabbies 1,010 1,119 1,037 1,380 1,060
Silver Perch 434 226 259 320 245
Ornamental Fish and Crustaceans 152 202 161 288 223
Rainbow Trout 134 148 172 110 132
Gold Fish 59 58 51 59 81
Koi Carp 51 202 220 96 162
Pearls 122,000 122,000 122,000 122,000 113,000
Note: * Industry figures have not been included where there are less than five productive licensees in a category to
protect the confidentiality of individual producers. Also note that Pearling values are implied farm gate prices.
Unprocessed pearls are not actually traded.
Data source: Department of Fisheries
Table 16 presents a slightly more complete picture of WA pearling and
aquaculture production by value. Casual inspection of these data indicates that
pearl production is by far the most valuable product, generating revenue of
$113 million in 2007-08. The next most significant in value are: mussels,
barramundi, and marron.
Implied prices suggest that WA pearling and aquaculture products have
enjoyed rising prices.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Estimates of economic impact 28
6 Estimates of economic impact
This section presents the results of the construction of regional input-output
tables for the WA fishing industry.
Industry value-added estimates are provided in Table 17. At the state level, the
WA fishing industry creates $295.9 million in value-added product. Across
products, rock lobster contributes the largest portion of value-added, totalling
$145.1 million (49 per cent). Seafood products is the next largest contributor to
value-added, followed by other marine fishing and aquaculture.
Across regions, the Mid West is the single largest contributor to fishing value-
added with $92.2 million (31 per cent), followed by Perth at $61.0 million (21
per cent).
The fishing industry makes important contributions to regional economies.
The rock lobster industry accounts for 2.3 per cent of all of the value-added
(across all industries including fishing) in the Mid West and 1.1 per cent in the
Wheatbelt. Prawns contribute 4.1 per cent to the Gascoyne. Pearling and
aquaculture represents 1.4 per cent of total value-added in the Kimberley.
Table 17 Industry value-added at factor cost ($ millions)
Region
Rock Lobster Prawns Other marine
fishing
Aquaculture
(including
pearling)
Seafood
products
Total industry
Gascoyne 0.0 18.4 10.2 1.0 12.0 41.5
Goldfields
Esperance 0.8 0.0 5.3 0.0 0.3 6.4
Great
Southern 0.0 0.0 2.6 3.6 1.8 7.9
Kimberley 0.0 1.0 4.5 22.9 0.0 28.4
Mid West 82.7 0.0 2.9 0.5 6.0 92.2
Peel 4.2 0.0 0.6 0.3 0.0 5.1
Pilbara 0.0 0.9 5.5 0.0 0.0 6.4
South West 1.9 0.0 3.8 2.9 0.0 8.6
Wheatbelt 37.6 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 38.2
Perth 17.9 0.0 1.6 1.4 40.1 61.0
Western
Australia 145.1 20.3 37.4 32.9 60.2 295.9
Data source: ACIL Tasman
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Estimates of economic impact 29
Table 18 presents estimates of the direct and flow-on effects of the WA fishing
industry.
Table 18 Total industry value added at factor cost – direct plus indirect ($ million)
Region
Rock
Lobster
Prawns Other
marine
fishing
Aquaculture
(including
pearling)
Seafood
products
Total
industry
Gascoyne 0.0 25.9 12.3 1.5 24.4 64.1
Goldfields
Esperance 1.3 0.0 7.1 0.0 0.8 9.2
Great
Southern 0.0 0.0 3.6 8.0 5.0 16.6
Kimberley 0.0 1.4 5.5 31.2 0.0 38.1
Mid West 113.6 0.0 4.0 1.3 15.4 134.4
Peel 5.8 0.0 1.0 0.8 0.0 7.6
Pilbara 0.0 1.3 6.8 0.0 0.0 8.1
South West 3.2 0.0 5.7 8.7 0.0 17.7
Wheatbelt 50.6 0.0 0.5 0.8 0.0 51.9
Perth 35.8 0.0 3.8 6.1 126.1 171.8
Western
Australia 301.5 43.4 91.6 150.4 231.1 817.8
Data source: ACIL Tasman
Table 19 shows that the total contribution of the industry to the WA economy
is $817.8 million when flow-on benefits are included. The $817.8 million
includes the direct effects shown in Table 17.
With these flow-on impacts included, we find that the rock lobster industry
accounts for 3.1 per cent of total value-added in the Mid West and 1.5 per cent
in the Wheatbelt. Prawns contribute 5.8 per cent to the Gascoyne. Pearling and
aquaculture represents 1.8 per cent of total value-added in the Kimberley.
Table 1 in Section 3 shows direct employment in the WA fishing industry in
different regions of the state. Table 19 captures the direct plus the indirect jobs
after the application of the appropriate regional multipliers.
Whereas total direct employment for the fishing industry in WA (see Table 1)
was 4,337 jobs, once the indirect employment effects are included this figure
more than doubles to 9,808 jobs in WA, with the vast majority of these jobs in
regional areas.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Estimates of economic impact 30
Table 19 Fishing industry direct plus indirect employment by place of work, full time equivalent jobs
Region
Rock
Lobster
Prawns Other
marine
fishing
Aquaculture
(including
pearling)
Seafood
products
Total
industry
Gascoyne 0 183 200 30 585 998
Goldfields
Esperance 142 0 235 0 6 383
Great
Southern 0 0 83 133 43 259
Kimberley 0 77 142 657 0 876
Mid West 989 0 147 19 265 1,420
Peel 52 0 97 13 0 162
Pilbara 0 25 278 0 0 302
South West 239 0 150 130 0 518
Wheatbelt 1,407 0 76 13 0 1,495
Perth 304 0 112 77 1,323 1,816
Western
Australia 2,707 409 1,681 1,883 3,127 9,808
Data source: ACIL Tasman
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Conclusion 31
7 Conclusion
This report has presented an economic snapshot of the WA fishing industry
showing the structure of the industry and providing estimates of value-added
and employment. As is evident in this report, the industry is currently
confronting significant challenges. This is particularly evident in the Western
Rock Lobster industry, which is by far the largest single species fishery in
Australia. A delicate balancing act is currently being carried out to ensure both
the biological and economic sustainability of the industry.
Other parts of the WA fishing industry are also showing signs of stress. This is
likely to be due to a multitude of factors such as: increasing import
competition (particularly with the appreciation of the Australian dollar),
reduced access to stocks and rising input costs.
In terms of employment, the industry is relatively small. However, the fishing
industry is a significant employer in many small coastal communities,
particularly in the Gascoyne, Mid West and Wheatbelt regions. The industry is
also likely to be highly complementary to the tourism industry. Expansion or
contraction of the fishing industry would lead to significant impacts at the
small community level and, in some cases, even at the regional level.
Despite the challenges, there are signs of resilience and even growth. Although
relatively small, the WA aquaculture industry has shown areas of growth in
recent years and is likely to provide an increasingly important avenue for future
growth.
Economic snap shot of the WA fishing industry
Bibliography 32
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