The spiny lobster fishery in the WECAFC region - an approach to responsible fisheries management

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 1623 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Cochrane ◽  
K. L. Cochrane ◽  
B. Chakalall ◽  
B. Chakalall
Keyword(s):  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Economic Importance ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Potential Yield ◽  
Lobster Fishery ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Management Advice ◽  
Central Atlantic

The Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus is widely distributed in the western central Atlantic and supports important fisheries in many of the countries within this area. Total reported landings have been between 27000 and 30000 tonnes per annum over the last decade. However, recent assessments undertaken under the auspices of the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC) have indicated that the resource is being fully or over-exploited over much of its range. The results also revealed widespread deficiencies in the data available, which create problems in undertaking reliable assessments and in the subsequent provision of management advice. The studies, undertaken with full regional participation, suggested that in most countries the need is urgent to control and frequently to reduce fishing effort for the species and that in some countries both spawner biomass and potential yield would benefit from increases in the minimum size of the lobsters caught. This paper describes the fisheries for Caribbean spiny lobster, including their socio-economic importance in the region. It provides an over-view of the results of the 1997 and 1998 WECAFC workshops on the species and of the implications of those results for management for sustainable use. Finally, the need for regional, or, at least, subregional, management of the fisheries is discussed, with reference to the conclusions of the WECAFC 2000 workshop.

Potential population and economic consequences of sublethal injuries in the spiny lobster fishery of the Florida Keys

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 166 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Parsons ◽  
D. B. Eggleston
Keyword(s):  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Growth Time ◽  
Potential Population ◽  
Lobster Fishery ◽  
Fishery Interactions ◽  
The Impact

Animals that interact with but are not retained by fishing gears may later die. The population and economic consequences of these sublethal fishery interactions are seldom known but may be significant. In the present study, a population model was used to quantify potential population and economic consequences of injuries that Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) sustain from fishing activities in the Florida Keys, USA. Injuries generated by the fishery are known to reduce growth and elevate mortality. Simulation modelling results indicated that injuries may reduce adult lobster abundance and associated landings by ≥50% in areas with high recreational fishing effort. When simulated injuries were ~20 times lower (representing areas with lower fishing effort), these injuries were only responsible for a 5 and 8% reduction in the adult lobster population and commercial landings respectively. Important parameters within the model (growth, time in stage and mortality of injured lobsters) were altered by ±10% to assess model sensitivity. Final results changed <10% (with the exception of one 15% change), suggesting that model output was relatively insensitive to variation in key parameters. When the impact of sublethal injuries was applied to the entire spiny lobster fishery in the Florida Keys, adult stock biomass and annual commercial landings were reduced by 900 and 160 t (US$1.6 million) respectively. These results suggest that sublethal fishery interactions can lead to high population and economic losses, and highlight the need to incorporate sublethal injuries into stock assessments and economic models.

Problems and Perspectives Regarding Recruitment of Spiny Lobsters, Panulirus argus, to the South Florida Fishery

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 2099-2106 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Carapace Length ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
International Management ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Panulirus Argus ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Juvenile Growth ◽  
Larval Recruitment ◽  
Yield Per Recruit

Inappropriate minimum size, illegal harvest, fishery-induced juvenile growth retardation and mortality, and excessive effort have reduced reproductive contributions and depressed yield-per-recruit in the overcapitalized south Florida spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery. Measures recommended to improve yield-per-recruit are as follows: increase minimum legal size to 85–90 mm carapace length; require escape gaps in traps; eliminate possession of sublegal lobsters aboard vessels; prohibit harvest in nurseries; reduce fishing effort; improve enforcement of fishery regulations; and initiate programs to educate fishermen regarding impacts of fishery practices. International management is recommended to assure larval recruitment among Pan-Caribbean stocks.

PaV1 infection in the Florida spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery and its effects on trap function and disease transmission

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald C. Behringer ◽  
Mark J. Butler ◽  
Jessica Moss ◽  
Jeffrey D. Shields
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Panulirus Argus ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
Pathogenic Virus ◽  
Lobster Fishery ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Polymerase Chain

The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) supports the most economically valuable fishery in the Caribbean. In Florida, USA, the majority of the catch is landed in traps “baited” with live, sublegal-sized lobsters that attract other lobsters due to their social nature. This species is also commonly infected by the pathogenic virus Panulirus argus Virus 1 (PaV1). Here we describe a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assessment of the prevalence of PaV1 in the lobster fishery from the Florida Keys. We tested the effect of PaV1-infected lobsters in traps on catch and on transmission to other trapped, uninfected lobsters. We found that 11% of the lobsters caught in commercial traps were positive for the virus by PCR, but none of these animals showed visible signs of disease. We also tested whether healthy lobsters avoid diseased lobsters in traps. Traps into which we introduced an infected lobster caught significantly fewer lobsters than traps containing an uninfected lobster. Moreover, uninfected lobsters confined in traps with infected lobsters acquired significantly more PaV1 infections than those confined with uninfected lobsters. This study demonstrates the indirect effects that pathogens can have on fisheries and the unintended consequences of certain fishery practices on the epidemiology of a marine pathogen.

Associations between sea temperature, catch per unit of fishing effort, and yield in the Bermuda spiny lobster fishery, 1975-1989

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 809 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Evans ◽  
APM Lockwood ◽  
AJ Evans
Keyword(s):  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Annual Growth ◽  
Quadratic Regression ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Sea Temperature ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Hamilton Harbour ◽  
Survival And Growth ◽  
Lobster Fishery

Results of graphical analyses of annual records of catch, effort and sea temperature indicate empirical quadratic associations between industry catch per unit of fishing effort (CPUE) in Bermudan spiny lobster (Panulirus argus and P. guttatus) fisheries and the annual average sea temperature at Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda. CPUE and yield of P. argus and of P. guttatus were each associated by quadratic expressions with the annual average sea temperature of the Bermuda Platform. Annual growth and survival of late juvenile P. argus and P. guttatus into the fishable stock at Bermuda is controlled in a quadratic fashion chiefly by sea temperature with a six-month lag. The optimum annual average sea temperature for the survival and growth of late benthic juvenile P. argus into the fishery stock was 23.6 � 0.2�C (mean � s.e.), and the comparable optimum for P. guttatus juvenile recruitment was 24.1 � 0.1�C. The maximum equilibrium catch of P. guttatus lobsters on Bermuda Platform was estimated at approximately 33 000 lobsters from quadratic regression of yield on fishing effort.

scholarly journals The effect of parental size on spermatophore production, egg quality, fertilization success, and larval characteristics in the Caribbean Spiny lobster, Panulirus argus

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. i115-i123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Butler ◽  
Alison Macdiarmid ◽  
Gaya Gnanalingam
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Panulirus Argus ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Larval Quality ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Spermatophore Production

Abstract The average size of spiny lobsters (Decapoda; Palinuridae) has decreased worldwide over the past few decades. Market forces coupled with minimum size limits compel fishers to target the largest individuals. Males are targeted disproportionately as a consequence of sexual dimorphism in spiny lobster size (i.e. males grow larger than females) and because of protections for ovigerous females. Therefore, overexploitation of males has led to sperm limitation in several decapod populations with serious repercussions for reproductive success. In the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, little is known about the effect of reduced male size on fertilization success or the role that individual size plays in gamete and larval quality. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to test the relationship between male size and spermatophore production over multiple mating events and to determine whether spermatophore reduction and female size affected fertilization success or larval attributes in P. argus in the Florida Keys, FL (USA). We found that over consecutive matings, larger males consistently produced spermatophores of a greater weight and area than smaller males, although size-specific differences in sperm cell density were undetected and probably obscured by high variance in the data. Where spermatophores were experimentally reduced to mimic the decline in spermatophore size with declining male size, fertilization success (the number of fertilized eggs/total number of eggs extruded) declined, indicating that sperm availability is indeed limited. No maternal size effects on egg size or quality (C:N ratio) or larval quality (size, swimming speed, mortality) were observed. Our results demonstrate the importance of maintaining large males in populations of P. argus to ensure fertilization success and caution against their overexploitation through fishing, which may severely reduce reproductive success and thus population sustainability.

scholarly journals Directly ageing the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus with validated band counts from gastric mill ossicles

2018 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 442-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaya Gnanalingam ◽  
Mark J Butler ◽  
Thomas R Matthews ◽  
Emily Hutchinson ◽  
Raouf Kilada
Keyword(s):  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Panulirus Argus ◽  
Gastric Mill ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
First Time ◽  
Reader Experience

Abstract In crustaceans, ecdysis was long believed to result in the loss and replacement of all calcified structures, precluding the use of conventional ageing methods. However, the discovery of bands in the gastric ossicles of several crustaceans with some correlation with age suggests that direct age estimation may be possible. We applied this method to a tropical spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, one of the most iconic and economically valuable species in the Caribbean. The presence of growth bands was investigated using wild lobsters of unknown age and was validated with captive reared lobsters of known age (1.5–10 years) from the Florida Keys, Florida (USA). Bands were consistently identified in ptero- and zygo-cardiac ossicles of the gastric mill and did not appear to be associated with moulting. Validation with known age animals confirms that bands form annually. Counts between independent readers were reproducible with coefficients of variation ranging from 11% to 26% depending on reader experience and the structure used. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that direct age determination of P. argus is possible.

scholarly journals Is urban bushmeat trade in Colombia really insignificant?

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie van Vliet ◽  
Maria Quiceno ◽  
Jessica Moreno ◽  
Daniel Cruz ◽  
John E. Fa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Hydrochoerus Hydrochaeris ◽  
Wild Meat ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Bushmeat Trade ◽  
Brocket Deer

AbstractThe bushmeat trade in ecosystems in South America other than those within the Amazon basin is presumed to be insignificant, as alternative sources of protein (e.g. beef, chicken, fish) are considered to be more readily available in non-moist forests. However, studies and confiscation reports from countries such as Colombia suggest that bushmeat is consumed in a variety of ecosystems, although the nature of market chains, particularly in urban areas, is still unknown. We studied the urban bushmeat trade in markets in the five main ecoregions in Colombia. We recorded a total of 85 species, the most frequently traded being the paca Cuniculus paca, red brocket deer Mazama americana, grey brocket deer Mazama gouazoubira, capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, armadillo Dasypus spp. and black agouti Dasyprocta fuliginosa. Most sales of wild meat occur through clandestine channels and involve a limited number of stakeholders. Bushmeat is a luxury product in urban areas of the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Andean regions. Further work is needed to quantify and monitor the volumes of bushmeat traded, comprehend motivations, explore ways of reducing threats, and engage with stakeholders to organize legal and sustainable use of bushmeat.

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