Summary of deliberations by a Task Group on west coast rock lobster recreational telephone survey catch estimates, and implications of those results

The service providers and the methods used to estimate catches from these surveys have changed over time. Appendix 1 summarises the methods. In simple terms, up to and including 2001/02 the method was based on estimating catch in each two week period from telephone survey results obtained immediately thereafter for that period, and then adding for all periods over the season. Subsequently, though surveys were conducted throughout the season, the estimate of total catch was based only on a question asked in the final survey on the number of lobster caught over the whole season