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Ornate Rock Lobsters are found in north-eastern Australia, where the stock is classified as sustainable. They are also found in northern WA, where stock status is negligible as a result of low catches.

Ornate Rock Lobster populations in northern Queensland (managed by Queensland), the Coral Sea (managed by the Commonwealth) and the Torres Strait (managed by the Torres Strait Protected Zone Joint Authority) are thought to comprise a single North-Eastern Australia biological stock, as a result of mixing of larvae in the Coral Sea [Pitcher et al. 2005; Plagányi et al. 2018]. Water movement models in Torres Strait predict that larvae are likely to be transported into the Gulf of Carpentaria [Wolanski et al. 2013], indicating that the north-eastern stock encompasses this region as well. Stock assessments have only been conducted at the jurisdictional level (Torres Strait and Queensland), with the assumption of jurisdictional stock boundaries. A stock assessment has not been carried out for the complete biological stock. Although Ornate Rock Lobster is also present in northern Western Australia, biological stock structures in this region have not been studied, however a project has been initiated to examine the genetic stock structure across this region, with results expected by 2025. 

Here, assessment of stock status is presented at the biological stock level—North-Eastern Australia; and at the jurisdictional level—Western Australia.

Western Australia

Stock status for Western Australia is reported as Negligible as a result of low catches and fishing is unlikely to be having a negative impact on the stock. No commercial catch is taken from Western Australia. Very small catches are taken by charter operators (less than 50 individuals year^-1) and low catches are recorded by recreational fishers through recreational surveys (approximately 200 in 2020–21) [Ryan et al. 2022]. 

Ornate Rock Lobster biology [MacFarlane and Moore 1986; Kailola et al. 1993; Skewes at al. 1997]

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Ornate Rock Lobster

Commonwealth – Commercial (Management Methods/Catch). The most recent data available for the Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery (TSTRLF) is for the 2021–22 fishing season. 

Commonwealth – Recreational. The Australian Government does not manage recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters. Recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the state or territory immediately adjacent to those waters, under its management regulations.  

Commonwealth – Indigenous (Management Methods). The Australian Government does not manage non-commercial Indigenous fishing in Commonwealth waters, with the exception of the Torres Strait. In general, non-commercial Indigenous fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the state or territory immediately adjacent to those waters. In the Torres Strait, both commercial and non-commercial Indigenous fishing is managed by the Torres Strait Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) through the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (Commonwealth); the Department of Agriculture, and Fisheries (DAF) (Queensland); and the Torres Strait Regional Authority. The PZJA also manages non-Indigenous commercial fishing in the Torres Strait. 

Commonwealth – Indigenous (Catch Totals). This specifically refers to non-commercial Indigenous catch. Commercial Indigenous catch in the Torres Strait is included under ‘commercial’. 

Northern Territory – Charter (Management Methods). In the Northern Territory, charter operators are regulated through the same management methods as the recreational sector but are subject to additional limits on license and passenger numbers. 

Northern Territory – Indigenous (Management Methods). The Fisheries Act 1988 (NT), specifies that: “Unless expressly provided otherwise, nothing in this Act derogates or limits the right of Aboriginal people who have traditionally used the resources of an area of land or water in a traditional manner to continue to use those resources in that area in that manner”. 

Northern Territory – Recreational (Catch). Boat ramp surveys of recreational fishers are conducted annually in the greater Darwin region (2014–2022). Northern Territory wide recreational fishing surveys were conducted in 2000–01, 2009–10 and 2018–19.  

Queensland. – Indigenous (Management Methods). For more information see https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/traditional-fishing.

Queensland. – Commercial (Catch). Queensland commercial and charter data have been sourced from the commercial fisheries logbook program. Further information available through the Queensland Fisheries Summary Report https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/monitoring-research/data/queensland-fisheries-summary-report

Queensland – Commercial (Management Methods). Harvest strategies are available at: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/harvest-strategy   

Queensland – Recreational Fishing (Catch) Data with high uncertainty (Residual Error >50 %) have been excluded and listed as unknown. More information available at: 

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/monitoring-research/monitoring-reporting/statewide-recreational-fishing-surveys. 

Commercial catch of Ornate Rock Lobster - note confidential catch not shown

1. AFMA 2019, Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Resource Assessment Group Meeting 27, meeting record, 10 to 11 December 2019, Thursday Island, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Thursday Island.
2. AFMA 2020, Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Resource Assessment Group meeting 30, meeting record, 16 December 2020, Thursday Island, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Thursday Island.
3. Butler, I, D’Alberto, B, Emery, T and Tuynman, H 2022, Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery, in Patterson, H, Larcombe, J, Woodhams, J and Curtotti, R (eds), Fishery status reports 2022, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra.
4. Chambers, M 2015, Status determination for trochus and tropical rock lobster stocks in the Coral Sea Fishery hand collection sector, in Larcombe, J, Noriega, R and Stobutzki, I (eds), Reducing uncertainty in fisheries stock status, ABARES research report, Canberra.
5. DEEDI 2011, Annual status report 2011: Commercial Crayfish and Rocklobster Fishery, Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Brisbane.
6. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 2021, Queensland crayfish and rock lobster fishery harvest strategy: 2021–2026, Queensland, Brisbane.
7. GBRMPA 2023, Our story, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
8. Kailola, P, Williams, M, Stewart, P, Riechelt, R, McNee, A and Grieve, C 1993, Australian fisheries resources, Bureau of Resource Sciences and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra.
9. MacFarlane, J and Moore, R 1986, Reproduction of the ornate rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius), in Papua New Guinea, Marine and Freshwater Research, 37: 55–65.
10. Noriega, R, Keller, K, Butler, I and Curtotti, R 2022, Coral Sea Fishery, in Patterson, H, Larcombe, J, Woodhams, J and Curtotti, R (eds), Fishery status reports 2022, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra.
11. Pitcher, C, Turnbull, C, Atfield, J, Griffin, D, Dennis, D and Skewes, T 2005, Biology, larval transport modelling and commercial logbook data analysis to support management of the NE Queensland rock lobster Panulirus ornatus fishery, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation project 2002/008, CSIRO Marine Research, Brisbane.
12. Plagányi, É, Haywood, M, Gorton, B and Condie, S 2018, Environmental drivers of variability and climate projections for Torres Strait tropical lobster Panulirus ornatus, AFMA and CSIRO final project report, AFMA project 2017/0816, CSIRO, Cleveland, Queensland.
13. Plagányi, É, Tonks, M, Murphy, N, Campbell, R, Deng, R, Edgar, S, Salee, K and Upston, J 2020, Torres Strait tropical rock lobster (TRL) milestone report 2020 on fishery surveys, CPUE, stock assessment and harvest strategy, AFMA Project R2019/0825, May 2020, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Brisbane.
14. Ryan K, Lai, E and Smallwood, C 2022, Boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2020/21, Fisheries Research Report No. 327, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia, 221 pp.
15. Skewes, T, Pitcher, C and Dennis, D 1997, Growth of ornate rock lobsters, Panulirus ornatus, in Torres Strait, Australia, Marine and Freshwater Research, 48: 497–501.
16. Wolanski, E, Lambrechts, J, Thomas, C and Deleersnijder, E 2013, The net water circulation through Torres Strait, Continental Shelf Research, 64: 66–74.