Analyses of the Fisheries Independent Monitoring Survey data of the rock lobster resource of South Africa with the data split into various categories

Analyses of FIMS results are updated to include data for the 2021/22 season. FIMS analyses for other carapace lengths splits of the FIMS data are also considered. Results show a decrease from the previous season’s index for the FIMS relative abundance index for all Zones and all length classes considered, except for an increase in the Cape Point Zone for the carapace length class of <60 cm and for the Saldanha Bay Zone for lobsters ≥75 cm. The percentage of females, when compared to the previous season, has decreased in the Cape Point and Dassen Island Zones but increased in the Saldanha Bay and Lambert’s Bay Zones.