Rocklobster
Rating
Standard Names
Southern Rocklobster, Eastern Rocklobster, Western Rocklobster, Tropical Rocklobster
Rocklobsters are a very high-value and popular 'luxury item'. These crustaceans are found in caves, holes and reefs in all Australian waters. The largest and most profitable commercial fishery is the WA Western Rocklobster fishery. Rocklobsters are targeted using pots and are sometimes incidentally caught by trawl fisheries. Hand Diving occurs in the Torres Straight Tropical Rocklobster fishery and is popular recreationally across the country. Australian Rocklobsters do not have the large front claws of the 'True Lobsters' of the Northern Hemisphere. They might be incorrectly sold as 'Crayfish', 'Lobster' or 'Cray'. Southern Rocklobsters are being assessed for their Aquaculture potential. Also imported as frozen tail meat from Asia. For information on the humane killing of Rocklobsters and other crustaceans, go to the RSPCA website and search for 'crustaceans'.
| Government Stock Assessment | |||||
| Overfishing | Biomass | AMCS Listing | Accreditations | ||
| Eastern Rocklobster | NSW | Sustainable | Better Choice | – | |
| Southern Rocklobster | Vic | Sustainable | Think Twice | – | |
| SA | Sustainable | – | |||
| Tas | Sustainable | – | |||
| Western Rocklobster | WA | Sustainably Fished | Better Choice | MSC certified | |
| Tropical Rocklobster | Commonwealth | Not subject to overfishing |
Not overfished | Better Choice | – |
| QLD | Sustainably Fished | – | |||
| What do these terms mean? | |||||
Preparation and cooking
Like crabs and other crustaceans, ROCKLOBSTER meat deteriorates rapidly after death, so it is best to buy them either live or already cooked. Cooked and chilled lobster can be used in salads or tossed through a pasta before serving, while raw meat is versatile. Try splitting whole Rocklobsters and grilling, steaming or BBQ’ing the halves, using a flavoured butter to ensure the meat remains moist. Alternatively, chop meat and Stir Fry with noodles and asian flavours, or grill or BBQ.
Sustainable Alternatives
Crab
The sweet, gentle meat of Crab is flakier than that of Rocklobster, but is suited as an alternative when it is to be tossed through a pasta or salad. Also suitable for stirfrying and use in curries.
Prawn
PRAWNS are a cheaper alternative to Rocklobster, and their firm sweet meat can stand in for most recipes. Cooked shelled meat can be tossed through a salad, pasta, or used to fill an omelette, while raw ‘green’ prawns can be BBQ’d, grilled, or stir fried.