Lobster Traps - A game changer

The Problem

Scott Westley runs the biggest lobster catching enterprise in New South Wales. He has approximately 240 traps full of lobsters which are valued at $60-100 per kilogram. The traps are set up to 20 kilometres offshore and are fished at depths of 200 metres below the surface. The traps are baited and left for 2 weeks. One of the biggest issues faced by NSW offshore fishers is the sheer force of the East Australian Current, which travels south from the Coral Sea during the lobster season.

Mr Westley makes his traps from hand however they were not reliable that deep in the ocean and against such strong currents, his previous traps would not last a full season. Making traps and pots was a time consuming and expensive process that he needed to make more efficient.

The Solution

Waratah’s Longlife^® blue netting was used in the offshore traps, the design of the Longlife^® blue wire has provided extra corrosion resistance which is necessary to withstand the harsh elements of the ocean. Mr Westley used 3.15mm Longlife^® Growire^® to build pots that were used for catching lobsters about 50m offshore.

 “When Waratah introduced Longlife technology, that was a game changer for us. Before, the netting and wire was barely lasting a season; now it’s lasting two to three seasons.” Said Mr Westley.

“The pots and materials we use for this part of the business get a real bashing from rocks and waves breaking so close to shore, but the lifespan of the new wire we are using is double that of products we used previously”.  

Advice to farmers, from farmers

“It’s all the little things that add up. Not having to replace the pots every season is a cost saving - not only because I don’t have to buy more wire, but because I don’t have to spend time making more traps. It gives me more time to focus on the business.”