French fishers catch up on how WA’s rock lobster industry works

Western Australia recently played host to eight fishermen and a facilitator from France, who’ve spent time in workshops and field trips around Perth to get to know more about our world-leading western rock lobster fishery.

The fishers live and work in and around the port city of Brest, located in a sheltered bay in the Brittany region of Western France and run family-based operations in a mixed fishery, catching several species of lobster, crab, octopus and fish.

French delegation facilitator Serge Gomes da Silva said the fishers were inspired by what they’d seen in WA and had learned a lot about the management tools employed in WA, including like maximum economic yield, back of boat sales and social licensing, as well as cooperation between industry and DPIRD.

While the volumes and trade figures from WA are huge in comparison with the French fishery, the visiting fishers are placing a great priority on their cooperation project with Australia to sustain the dynamism of their regional lobster fisheries, trade experience between borders and involving local fishermen in the greater picture of resource management.

The French fishers left WA for Tasmania to continue looking at research, management, and industry issues in other Australian lobster fisheries.

CAPTION:  Serge (with camera), with some of the French fishers and DPIRD staff capturing an up-close moment with a western rock lobster at GFC’s Brolos export facility in Welshpool.

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