Posted by kathryn in Sustainablity

After I posted about fish and sustainability , Cucina Rebecca asked where lobster or crayfish fitted into the equation. Were they over-fished and under-threat? I really don’t know much about crayfish, so thought I’d try and find out. After speaking to a number of people, it seems there’s no one simple answer to this question.

Here in Australia we tend to eat more rock (or spiny) lobster and while they resemble true lobsters in a number of ways, they’re actually a very different species. They live in crevices of rocks, on ledges and among coral and are carnivourous scavengers, eating snails, clams, crabs, sea urchins, etc.

Rock lobsters in Australia are mainly caught in pots and most of the critters are exported to Japan, Taiwan and China, with only a small proportion kept for the local market. In fact, rock lobsters are the most commercially valuable species in Australia and are worth over half the total value of the Australian finfish catch. So in Australia at least, it’s a well-off industry.

The fact that the rock lobster industry only catches one species, also makes it easier for them to manage their fisheries, ie they’re only dealing with the sustainability of one species, plus a few bycatch species.

Rock lobsters are not immediately threatened with extinction. However, the rock lobster industry have over-fished in the past and species are down to low levels. This, of course, also has an impact on the wider marine ecosystem, as rock lobster is a key food source for many other fish, sharks and seals. Some rock lobster fisheries also drown seals which get caught in the pots, although this issue is being addressed through changes in fishing practices.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society gives the overall industry a mid-rating in their fish forever guide – they’re not immediately under threat, but more needs to be done to build up rock lobster stocks, as well as address bycatch and ecosystem impacts.

Of all the rock lobster industries, the Western rock lobster is the most sustainably fished. The West Australian Rock Lobster ( WARL ) industry was one of the first in the world to receive an MSC rating . From the MSC website:

The WARL fishery has been practising responsible management since 1963 when commercial fishers, processors and the government joined together in an effort to preserve the fishery’s future. The fishery has strict guidelines including seasonal closures, minimum size requirements and a ban on catching breeding females. Data on the fishery has been kept since the 1960s and enables fisheries scientists to predict catches accurately and ensure that controls are adequate to keep the fishery operating at sustainable levels. The fishery is managed primarily through licensing under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and the total allowable catch (TAC) is usually between 10,000-12,000 tonnes.

Western rock lobster is sold at the Sydney Fish Markets and while they look very similar to the Eastern and Southern rock lobsters, all should be clearly marked. So if you do want lobster this Christmas, then choose the Western rock lobster, but also, let the retailer know why you’re buying this species . Tell them that the sustainability of the fish you eat is important to you and that you want to see more fish with an MSC rating. As consumers we have a power and through demanding that our fishing industries take care of the species they’re catching, we will ensure the future of our fish stocks

Oh yes and about the thorny question of how to kill and cook your rock lobster, the most humane and easiest way is to chill the rock lobster in the freezer for about 45 minutes – long enough for it to become insensible, but not long enough to freeze. Once chilled, it can be quickly killed by either splitting in half or dropping into rapidly boiling water. For more details, see www.rspca.org.au .

• Wikipedia
• Sydney Fish Markets
• Marine Stewardship Council
• Australian Marine Conservation Society
• RSPCA
• Technorati tags: : fish , overfishing , seafood , marine ecosystems , fish stocks , lobster , crayfish , rock lobster .

05 December, 2006