Without the right to take rock lobsters smaller than the recreational standard of 54mm (males)/60mm (females) tail width, Otago "would not have much of a lobster fishery", CRA 7 (Otago) management committee executive officer Simon Gilmore said.
"We're very happy."
The Ministry of Primary Industries yesterday made the announcement that the rock lobster concession areas for minimum legal size regulations would be retained for CRA 7 (Otago), CRA 3 (Gisborne) and CRA 8 (southern).
The decision came after a four-year review of the concession system following concerns from recreational fishermen.
Ministry fisheries management director James Stevenson-Wallace said the concessions had been in place for many years and provided the commercial sector with significant economic benefits. Their removal would have had a negative impact on the performance of the sector overall.
The ministry used a fisheries management approach for rock lobster which aimed to ensure there were adequate lobsters available for all sectors, he said.
"The management approach is responsive to changes in numbers of rock lobster in the area."
Mr Gilmore said since 1948 fishermen in Otago had been able to take smaller rock lobsters, as it was a "recruitment fishery" with good habitat for larvae and juvenile animals.
The juveniles then walked on the southern current, south towards Stewart Island and Fiordland.
As a result, lobsters in Otago were mostly smaller than the national standard.
He agreed with the ministry decision that it was "abundance" of stock that mattered, not the concessions.
That was why there were significant increases and decreases in the commercial catch, depending on numbers in the fishery, he said.
"Next season we should see a major lift, as there should be a large number of 2 and 3-year-old animals. We follow the natural cycle."
