Richard Kelly[22]
Description of the Fishery
Jamaica is located about 145 km south of Cuba and 161 km west of Haiti. The island is 236 km long, between 35 and 82 km wide, with a total area of 10 940 km2 and a coastline of approximately 885 km. The irregular coastline is punctuated by numerous coastal features such as harbours, bays, beaches, estuaries, mangrove, swamps, rocky shores, cays, coral reefs, and lagoons. Jamaica has a tropical maritime climate that is influenced by north east trade winds and land-sea breezes. The average temperature is 27 °C, ranging from 23 °C winter to 28 °C in summer (see also Grant, 2001).
Figure 1. Major banks of Jamaica
Jamaica in 2001 had a population of about 2.6 million and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at constant prices of J$334,7 billion (approximately US$6,5 billion). The agricultural GDP (which includes fishing) was J$22,9 billion (US$442,5 million). There are about 14 000 registered fishers in Jamaica but estimates indicate that there may be over 20 000 fishers. There are 12 000 registered fishing vessels. These boats operate from 187 fishing beaches scattered around the island.
The spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is widely distributed in the coastal waters and on the offshore banks around Jamaica. This resource is a delicacy and therefore highly priced and lobsters represent an important component of the total landings of the Jamaican commercial fishery. Six species of lobsters are found in Jamaican waters viz., Panulirus argus, Panulirus guttatus, Justitia longimanus, Palinurellus gundlachi, Scyllarides aequinoctialis and Parribacus antarcticus, of which P. guttatus and P. argus are the only two species that are commercially valuable (Aiken, 1984). Fishing for lobster is done mainly on the island shelf and the banks (Pedro Bank, Morant Bank and Formigas Bank). Large concentrations of lobsters are found on the Pedro Bank (Fig. 1), which accounts for about 60 percent of the total landings in the industrial fishery. During the 1980s about 60 percent of total lobster landings came from the Pedro Bank but that declined to 20 percent in 1996-1997. The contribution of lobsters landed in Jamaica that come from the island shelf and the banks have not been recently quantified.
The fishery has two components, artisanal and industrial.
The Artisanal Fishery
This fishery is targeted by two categories of fishers:
Mainland artisanal fishers using Antillean Z-traps, diving (free lung, scuba and hoocha) and gill nets. The lobster is sold to the food and tourist industry and directly to households and some also go to the processing plant
Offshore artisanal fishers based mainly on Pedro and Morant Banks. Fishers in this category are mainly divers. The lobster is marketed to 'packer boats' that subsequently distribute to the same markets as the mainland artisanal fishers.
The artisanal fishers operate from about 2 000 registered 8.4 m fiberglass boats with outboard engine (40 hp and above) with a crew of 3, and from about 900 registered 5.5 m dug-out canoes (non-mechanized).
The fish pot or trap is considered to be the primary gear, however, lobsters are only a by-catch in the trap fishery and trap fishers do not necessarily target lobsters. Divers on the mainland do target lobsters. A maximum of ten divers may travel in one vessel to the fishing grounds and the captain keeps watch while the divers harvest lobsters. Lobster is sold locally to the public either at the boat side or via vendors. Vendors then distribute the lobster to the catering industry. Sometimes the catch is sold to fish processors. Table 1 shows the weight of spiny lobsters caught by artisanal fishers using various gear types.
Table 1. Landings of spiny lobsters by gear
|
Gear type |
Landings (tonnes) |
% |
|
Antillean Z-trap |
103.43 |
38 |
|
Scuba |
45.14 |
17 |
|
Free dive |
87.88 |
32 |
|
Gill net |
8.19 |
3 |
|
Hookah |
18.37 |
7 |
|
Wooden traps |
8.21 |
3 |
|
Total |
271.22 |
100 |
The Industrial Fishery
Fishers in the industrial fishery are based on the mainland but operate mainly on the Pedro and Morant Banks from 20-35 m LOA vessels. These fishers are licensed to use Florida traps only. Usually, they are contracted by processors to whom they are then obliged to sell their catch. Fish processors cater primarily for the export market.
In 2001 about four industrial licenses, to four companies, were issued to fish lobsters on the Pedro Bank using Florida traps. The vessels are steel hulled, 20 m x 5.7 m x 3 m and have inboard engines up to 500 hp. Crew size on these vessels ranges from 8 to 12. Each vessel transports about 1 000 traps of which about 500 are in the water at any one time. The average immersion (soak) time is about three days. Fishers spend up to three months at sea before returning to the mainland. Smaller quantities of lobsters may be transported back to the mainland by other vessel en route to the mainland.
Lobsters are exported mainly to the United States, Canada, Panama, Netherlands Antilles, Cayman Islands and Martinique. The spiny lobster fishery is the second most lucrative export fishery. In 2001 the total production of lobster was estimated to be 308.92 toneladas with a value of US$2 084 818 (Table 2). Antillean Z-traps contribute to about 65 percent of total landings followed by divers (32%), wooden traps (2.9%) and nets (0.1%). Since 1962, the contribution of lobster to total production varies between 3 and 7 percent. Landings for lobsters usually peak in March and late September.
Biology
Studies conducted by Aiken (1977, 1983), Munro (1983) and Haughton (1988) confirmed a significant reduction in the mean and modal size of the lobster population in Jamaica. Haughton and King (1988) reported that the fishing effort had increased significantly and the level of fishing mortality appeared to be greater than the optimum required for the fishery.
The study estimated the von Bertalanffy growth parameters. The growth parameters were then used to generate a recruitment pattern. A length-converted catch curve was constructed from which total mortality and mean selection size was estimated. Population size and exploitation pattern, yield per recruit and biomass per recruit were also estimated.
Kong in 1991 conducted a tagging study but recovery was too small for any significant quantitative analysis. Young (1992) did a study on puerulus settlement rates on the south coast of Jamaica and found that settlement was continuous throughout the year. Gittens (2001) reported that 30 percent of lobsters landed from the Pedro Bank was below the size of 50 percent maturity and that spawning stock biomass was low. He also suggested that recruitment overfishing may be occurring, however, the effects may not be seen locally due to new recruits originating from a shared regional stock.
In 1975 the Fisheries Division reported that 76 percent of the lobsters landed were immature females (by comparison, Florida showed 17-21 percent immature females harvested), suggesting that there was an urgent need for strict management and protection.
Management Regulations
The Fishing Industry Act of 1975, recommended a minimum size (carapace length, Lc or CL) for spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) of 76.2 mm (3 in). Aiken (1977) recommended a gradual increase to 85 mm CL, while Haughton et al. (1986) called for an increase in the minimum size limit to 89 mm CL as they found that about 55 percent of the females were mature at this length.
It is illegal to land lobsters below the minimum size of 76.2 mm CL or offer such lobsters for sale. Female lobsters with eggs are also protected by the Act. Both provisions carry a maximum penalty of J$1 000 (US$19) or six months in jail. The fine is inadequate and certainly does not serve as a deterrent to offenders. However, the Act is being revised to implement fines of greater magnitude.
In order to combat the decline of lobsters, further management measures were implemented such as a closed season that runs from April to June. Further restrictions were placed on the industrial vessels, limited entry and gear restriction (Florida traps only) since the last FAO workshop on the conservation of spiny lobster.
Licenses for the industrial lobster fishery are granted with the following conditions:
All lobsters caught, except undersized and/or berried which should be returned to the sea, shall be landed on mainland Jamaica no later than eight weeks after the commencement of each fishing trip.
Lack of adequate resources continues to prevent the effective enforcement of management regulations.
Available Data
Since 2001 the Fisheries Division of Jamaica has been unable to collect data due to persistent financial constraints.
Fishery-Dependent
76. The Data Collection Programme (Trip Interview Programme) of the Fisheries Division was initiated in September 1996 with assistance from the CARICOM Fisheries Resource Management Programme (CFRAMP). Catch and effort data is collected by gear from artisanal fishers through random stratified sampling. Data from the industrial fishers is collected by census. Biological data is collected where possible, usually on three gear types (scuba, free lung and gill net).
77. At the processing plants lobsters are landed as tails. The data collectors, therefore, measure tail length, which then needs to be converted to whole weight and carapace length. Morphometric studies (carapace length, tail length, weight, telson length and carapace depth) were done on the Pedro Bank in order to be able to convert from one measurement to another.
Socio-Economic
Since 1962 the export of lobsters has increased significantly, from 0.68 percent of total fish exports in 1962 to 69 percent in 1995. Presently, lobster is exported as frozen, live, fresh, dried salted or in brine. The average price of whole lobster is J$150 (US$2.9) per kg and of tails J$500 (US$9.7) per kg. In 2001 the country exported 180 tonnes of lobsters valuing US$3 900 000 (US$21.67/kg). Figure 2 shows lobster exports from 1995 to 2001.
Figure 2. Lobster exports, Jamaica, 1995-2001
Lobster is an important and sought-after delicacy in the Jamaican tourist industry, luring visitors to savour the mouth-watering taste, therefore a major portion of the lobsters landed in western Jamaica goes to the tourist industry. This portion has not yet been quantified. The peak demand for lobsters within the export, seafood and tourist industries is just before the start of the three-month closed season. This demand coincides with increased fishing effort as consumers try to stock up on lobster. This clearly has management implications and in the new Fisheries Act, recommendations are made to implement a total ban on the possession of lobsters during the closed season.Table 2 shows a comparison of landings of lobster and other species groups.
Table 2. Landings and value by major groups, Jamaica, 2001
|
Fish type |
Quantity (tonnes) |
Value (US$) |
Price/kg (US$) |
|
Finfish |
4 399.95 |
11 877 632 |
2.7 |
|
Conch |
946 |
6 324 647 |
6.7 |
|
Lobster |
308.92 |
2 084 818 |
6.7 |
|
Shrimp |
38.5 |
381 078 |
9.9 |
Status of the Stocks
According to Munro, the lobster populations in Jamaica have changed considerably since 1983. Fishing effort has increased significantly over recent years and the present level of fishing mortality appears to be greater than the optimum recommended for the fishery. FAO (1993) declared that from a biological perspective fishing mortality should be reduced to minimize the risk of over-exploitation.
Summary of Major Problems
Not efficiently prioritising activities due to resource constraints.
Future for the Fishery
There must be a clear policy statement for the lobster fishery that must be compatible with overall government policies for agriculture. The Fisheries Division will try to quantify the socio-economic value of the lobster fishery in Jamaica, especially to draw the attention of government as to the importance of the fishery. The lobster fishery attracts foreign exchange through export and within the tourist industry and surely Jamaica will want to preserve the fishery for continued and enhanced economic rewards. The added value of the lobster fishery must be quantified.
There is clearly not enough overall data on the fishery and this needs to be addressed urgently. However, due to scarce resources there needs to be recommendations on what minimum data is required to facilitate management plans. The present management strategies will have to be improved and periodically assessed to evaluate their efficacy in curbing decline of the lobster stocks. The Fisheries Division must attract the attention it needs from the government and must be institutionally strengthened to efficiently execute its mandate.
Jamaica must address at least some of its national fisheries issues in order to play a more effective role in the overall regional management of lobsters. Other recommendations for increased management of the fishery could include:
Reduction of fishing effort (limit entry) and begin to change the open access regime.
Increase in the minimum carapace length limit from 76.2 mm to at least 83 mm with increased enforcement.
Possible ban on free lung or scuba as a fishing gear for lobsters.
Collect biological, catch and effort and socio-economic data (including export data) from fish processing plants.
Establishment of Marine Reserves with adequate monitoring.
Implementation of a tax on lobster exports to discourage excessive harvesting of lobsters in the industrial fishery and also to provide funding for data collection and management activities.
Collaboration with research institutions such as the University of the West Indies (UWI) to get assistance in collecting data and the analysis of such.
Ongoing public education to sensitize fishers, other stakeholders and the general public on spiny lobster management.
Future use of casitas to promote resource enhancement.
Enactment of the new Fisheries Act to facilitate better management of the lobster fishery. The new Act will stipulate that each fishery must have specific management plans monitored by a Fisheries Advisory Committee (FAC).
It is the intention of the Fisheries Division to convince the Minister responsible for fisheries and the government to change the policy of open access and to limit entry in the lobster fishery and to review and accommodate management recommendations to facilitate sustainable use of the resource.
References
Aiken, K. 1977. Jamaica spiny lobster investigations. FAO Fisheries Report 200: 11-22.
Aiken, K. 1983. Further investigation of the Jamaican spiny lobster fishery. FAO Fisheries Report No. 278, Suppl. 1: 77-191.
Aiken, K. 1984. Lobsters - Their biology and conservation in Jamaica. Jamaica Journal 17(4): 44-17.
FAO. 1993. Marine fishery resources of the Antilles. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. No. 326. Rome.
Fisheries Division. 1975. Jamaican spiny lobster investigations. Investigations 1975. Ministry of Agriculture, Jamaica. 65: 202-212.
Gittens, L.G. 2001. An assessment of recent (1996-2000) biological and socioeconomic characteristics of the Jamaican lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery, with implications for future management.
Grant, S. 2001. National report of Jamaica. FAO Fisheries Report No. 619: 216-226.
Haughton, M.O. 1988. Population biology of Panulirus argus in Jamaican waters. M.Sc. thesis. University of Buckingham. 148 p.
Haughton, M.O. & King, D.P.F. 1990. Population biology of the spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) in Jamaican waters. Proc. Gulf Carib. Fish. Inst. 41:528-542.
Kong. 1991.
Munro, J.L. 1983. Caribbean coral reef fishery resources. ICLARM Studies and Reviews 7, Manila, Phillipines.
Young, G.R. 1992. Studies on settlement and growth of postlarval, spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) from Bowden Harbour, Jamaica. M.Phil. Thesis. UWI.
| [22] Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 470, Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston, E-mail:
[email protected]. |
