Scyllarides squammosus

This gregarious species attains sexual maturity at a carapace length of 6.6 - 6.7 cm, although variation was found between reefs (Hearn et al. 2007, Lavalli et al. 2007). Ovigerous females occur throughout the year with peak abundance between May and July, and their fecundity ranges from 54,000 - 227,000 eggs per female (DiNardo and Moffitt 2007, Sekiguchi et al. 2007). The phyllosoma of this species remain pelagic for 3 - 6 months prior to transforming into benthic juveniles (DiNardo and Moffitt 2007).

The Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) considers that the fishery does not pose a significant threat to the sustainability of this species. The fishery landed less than 5 tonnes of Slipper Lobster each year between 1998 and 2001, and in 2002/2003  no Slipper Lobsters were landed (Sumpton et al. 2004).

A decline in global captures of Scyllaridae has been documented, although information on specific species is lacking (Spanier and Lavalli 2007).

Hawaii

The management plan of the Hawaiian fishery incorporated closed seasons, minimum size limits, no retention of egg bearing females, the incorporation of escape vents in pots, accurate recording of log data, and revised yearly quotas (Pooley and Kawamoto 1998, Sumpton et al. 2004).

Queensland

In the event that the trap fishery in southeast Queensland progresses beyond developmental status, a formal process would be undertaken to develop appropriate management strategies. Within the area of the fishery, a number of closed waters have been declared under the Fisheries Regulations 1995, and no fishing is allowed in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). All commercial fishers in Queensland have a legal obligation to provide information about their fishing activity via daily logbook reporting (Sumpton et al. 2004).

Other regulations implemented would include:

• The size of the apparatus in waters shallower than 100 m: 1 ­m­³ in overall volume, and in waters 100 m and deeper 195 cm x 120 cm x 120 cm
• Floats to be at least 15 cm in diameter
• Floats for traps set in strings - orange in colour
• Floats for single traps - any colour except orange
• Floats must have markings showing the owner?s boat name and boat marking
• Not more than 200 traps per operator
• Each operator may have 210 traps in possession but those in excess of 200 must be unassembled
• In waters less than 20 m - traps set singly
• In waters 20 - 100 m  set in strings of up to 25
• In waters over 100 m  set in strings of up to 50
• It is prohibited to take berried females or setose females (Sumpton et al. 2004).

As the Queensland trap fishery is only operated on a very limited developmental scale (a time frame of only four years), the lobster stocks are not likely to have been seriously affected. The current permit conditions provide the Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) with extensive powers to ensure the sustainable management of the fishery. It allows them to suspend or cancel permits if a deleterious effect on stocks of Slipper and Spiny Lobster, or any other fish species (including bycatch and byproduct) has been caused, or is imminent, or may reasonably be expected due to activities under the permit' (Sumpton et al. 2004). For a comprehensive report on the Queensland developmental trap fishery, see Sumpton et al. (2004).