Duck Billed Platypus, Kangaroo, Kiwi… the Antipodean animal kingdom boasts more than its fair share of evolutionary freaks. One of the lesser known oddities resides on Tasmania, 240 km across the Bass Strait from mainland Australia and home to one of the world’s largest freshwater invertebrates. The Tasmanian giant freshwater lobster, which grows up to a staggering 1 metre in length, is the unlikely attraction in an innovative tourist scheme down under.

Todd Walsh, otherwise known as ‘The Lobster Man’, and wife Donna run lobster ‘catch, tag, measure and release’ tours (between AUS$60 - 160) through the North West Tasmanian forest. Todd has been involved in Tasmanian lobster conservation for more than ten years and hopes the tours will help gather data and raise awareness that will aid the long-term survival of the species in the rivers of northwest Tasmania.

The giant freshwater lobster is endemic to the rivers of northern Tasmania and Todd and Donna are the only people in the world to carry out lobster population monitoring. Since 1998, Todd has spoken to over 10,000 school children about the lobster and conservation issues affecting it. Todd hopes the lobster will become a flagship conservation species to help rehabilitate and protect the rivers and surrounding areas of northern Tasmania. It might not have the iconic status of the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian devil yet, but that doesn't put Todd off.

“The current situation is pretty good, there are possibly millions in the wild, but numbers have dramatically declined in impacted areas,” explains the Lobster man. “There are still many catchment areas with very healthy populations. On a good day, I can go to some places and catch more than 30 ranging up to 3kg in size.”

There are two options open for visitors, an ‘Eco-tour’ which takes in the creeks of the region. Todd teaches tourists about the freshwater ecosystem, the fish species and the smaller inhabitants like the stoneflies and caddis flies along the way. The second option is the chance to take part in a scientific lobster population survey and thereby help in the long-term survival of this little known aquatic giant of the forest. “I load all the tourists up with the traps, I can't carry it all, so they really do get involved,” says Todd. “And head of into the bush or along the river. It depends on what the tourists want, if they want a bush-bash then I can give them one.” The lobster is designated as a ‘Protected Fish’ and anyone caught taking them from the wild could face a fine of up to AUS$10,000. The rarest is the beautiful, blue variety, which is only seen in a handful of spots. Black, brown and jet black lobsters are more common.

The surveys take a full day and it can take up to 2 hours to travel to each lobster area. Tourists set up the traps, some of which have meat attached and some are collapsible traps. Once a lobster has been captured, it is weighed, measured, sexed and tagged before being released at the point of capture. The tourists are under no circumstances, allowed to touch the animal, but they'll get a good eyeful. All the data is recorded and then it’s off to the next trap. “This can be full on if the lobsters are moving,” says Walsh. “If it’s a little slow then I can get into the creek and check the shallows for juveniles. I also sample the macro-invertebrates, or water bugs, and if we have the time or the tourists are keen, I can show them how to catch and ID these bugs and from this accurately determine the health of the river.”

The lobsters are more active in the early autumn and summer and the best time to visit is from September until May. “It gets a bit wilder in the winter months,” explains Todd “But I still get out and find the animals.” The prehistoric forest is covered in massive Tree Ferns, Myrtle and a tall canopy of Blackwood, Sassafras and Eucalyptus trees, and you'll need to be fairly fit as the trek takes visitors through some rugged terrain.

There is no real trail through the forest and visitors are reliant on the expertise of the local guides and should be prepared for a fairly arduous trek with hill climbing, log climbing and creek wading on the full day 8-hour tour. As Todd says, “It's a full days work believe me, but they are always really pleased they've done it.”

Claw phobics needn't worry too much, “I've never had anyone nipped yet,” says Todd “These things can break your arm or take a finger off, so its something I'm trying to avoid.”
The benefit being you help a rare species and get a guided by a real enthusiast to parts of Tasmania few casual tourists ever see. “Other than the tour I just offer tourists the chance to get away from the stock standard stuff and go crashing into the bush with me,” adds Todd. “But we do cater to the not so energetic also.”

But has the Lobster man ever tasted one of these creatures in those days before conservation awareness. “Yep. I used to eat these blokes as well, bloody beautiful. Probably one of the best in the world, if not the best.” But, for now at least, Tasmanian giant freshwater lobster thermidore remains off menus.

©2003 Graham Holliday

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