Trends in productivity of Southern Rock Lobster Jasus edwardsii, across south-eastern Australia: Evidence of a regime shift?

•Southern Rock Lobster Jasus edwardsii supports important fisheries across the States of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.•Previous studies across the region have identified considerable synchrony in both larval settlement and recruitment.•This study analysed long-term trends in Surplus Production (SP) as a measure of annual stock productivity.•The results highlighted a common trend across south-eastern Australia, where SP declined rapidly from the late 1990s and early to mid-2000s..•These results may reflect a regime shift in Southern Rock Lobster productivity, which should be considered in the future management of the resource.