Our role

Commercial Southern Rock Lobster fisheries contribute around $250 million in landed seafood value to the Australian economy each year.  Professional Rock Lobster Fishers across South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria operate licenses, vessels, pots and harvest infrastructure with an estimated capital value of $2.3 billion, landing over 3,000 tonnes of premium Southern Rock Lobster annually.

SRL addresses broad Natural Resource Management (NRM) issues e.g. methodologies of harvest strategies, resource allocation, quota setting etc, but does not involve itself in individual State-based management determinations, unless directed to do so by its members.

Outside of the R&D space, SRL represents the Australian Southern Rock Lobster Industry on national policy issues as directed and agreed to by its members.

Clean Green Program

SRL is also responsible for the ongoing development and management of the industry's Clean Green Program; a World-first Rock Lobster supply chain management strategy which is the industry vehicle to train and maintain the Southern Rock Lobster industry to World's best practice. The Clean Green Program is an integrated ‘pot-to-plate' Product Standard addressing vessel safety management systems (SMS), work health & safety (WH&S), environmental management, food quality and safety and environmental sustainability with independent third-party auditing of practices.

In excess of 200 Rock Lobster fishing vessels across Southern Australian are Clean Green members.

Governance

SRL is governed by a Board including an Independent Chairperson, two representatives from each member organisation, together with positions accommodating independent scientific and market-based expertise. The Board is resourced by an Executive Officer.

Further to the Board, and given the organisation’s R&D focus, SRL also receives advice generated via its Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) Sub-Committee. Further information in relation to the structure of the RD&E Sub-Committee can be found here.