Rafael Puga and María Estela de León
Participants to the scientific meeting of the second Workshop on Management of the Lobster Fisheries in the WECAFC area, after having met between 30th September and 3 October 2002, obtained numerous results on the status of the lobster fisheries in the region.
It was highlighted once more, the importance of this resource for countries in the area, since it generates important incomes in foreign exchange and represents a source of direct and indirect employment for more than one fourth of a million people.
Total of workers: 253 300.
Among the 10 main lobster-producing countries (Figure 1), they catch 93 percent of the total catches in the region.
Figure 1. Main lobster-producing countries in the region
Figure 2 shows that since 1984 total catches are above 33 000 tonnes, fluctuating around 37 900 tonnes between 1984 and 2001, however it can be noticed a decrease to 33 180 tonnes in 2001, which represents a drop of 12 percent in relation to the average value. This decrease was mainly determined by Cuba, Bahamas and Nicaragua, since Brazil from 1998 has showed low catches (Figure 3).
Figure 2. Total lobster catches in the region
Figure 3. Catches of countries with decreases in the year 2001
Figure 4. Catches in the North and Central South regions
Since 1984, the expansion of the fisheries was evident mainly in the North and Central South regions (Figure 4) and was determined largely by Bahamas, Nicaragua and Honduras, meanwhile, since 1970 in the other regions (Figure 5), it was observed a greater stability around the average value.
Figure 5. Catches in the Central North and South regions
The meeting concluded that the status of the resource is fully exploited to over-exploited over its entire distribution range, due to: (1) existence of artesanal fisheries mostly of which have open access to the fisheries, which promotes high fishing effort and mortality levels due to fishing and; (2) inadequate compliance of regulatory measures in mostly of the countries in the region.
Taking into account the status of the resource, the following recommendations were made to improve fisheries management.
Control and surveillance: All the countries should make efforts to ensure compliance of regulations at a national level and the harmonization of these with their neighbouring countries. Exporting countries could request collaboration to importers for compliance of regulations.
Excessive fishing effort: It must be urgently considered the reduction of fishing effort in most of the countries.
Open access: In those countries in which it cannot be limited the access to the fisheries, at least the growth of fishing effort must be stopped.
Data Collection: There is an absolute need to implement systematic monitoring programmes to be acquainted with the tendencies of the resource and fisheries.
Scientific information: The countries must develop fisheries data analysis capabilities in order to provide to the decision makers the best scientific information.
Political support: Scientific and administrative institutions must work together with decision makers to ensure political support to management measures.
Policies and management plans: In order to develop appropriate policies and for its implementation into effective management plans is necessary to work with all resource users.
Communication: It is necessary to communicate to the public in general, fishing groups and decision makers, information regarding the status of the resource, its socio-economic importance, management plans, and responsibilities of resource users.
Funding for research, monitoring and control: Taking into consideration the high profits generated by this fishery, countries must cover the costs and invest necessary funds to ensure services that guarantee the fishery's sustainability.
In addition, participants to the meeting agreed with a set of recommendations for the future work of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group on the Caribbean Spiny Lobster.
The ad hoc Working Group has been very useful to promote sustainable lobster utilization at national and regional levels. It is recommended that FAO and national authorities should continue their support to the Working Group's operation.
The Working Group could be useful in contributing to promote the acceptance of member countries for the application of international standards in their lobster fisheries. The decisions taken within the Working Group could receive greater support from the decision makers than the recommendations provided only by national institutions.
It was considered correct the methodology of providing technical support at national level, complemented with these meetings, in which technical recommendations are presented to the decision makers in an immediate manner.
A greater sense of national ownership of the Working Group was promoted, by which the election of a Chair was carried out among the participating countries and was proposed the appointment of two national focal points for each country.
The purpose of the Working Group has been to facilitate the integration of monitoring, review and implementation of an effective management for the lobster fishery. It is essential that the Working Group be accepted as a national activity and not as something external to the countries' responsibilities and budget.
Countries must consider the establishment of national working groups linked to the Regional Working Group, to gain from the experience of the individuals and institutions, which can contribute to the management of the resource.
It was recognized the importance of cooperation among neighbouring countries at a subregional level. The subregional groups can operate jointly with the Regional Working Group in a planned manner.
It was expressed concern because the Working Group was not giving enough attention to countries with scanty production, the meeting agreed that it was a problem due to limited budget and it was suggested the interaction with other regional agencies to facilitate the participation of these countries.
