* The Netherlands Antilles belong to this group, but were not represented at the Workshop.
Sonia Maria Martins de Castro e Silva, Antonio Clerton de Paula Pontes, Gabriel Gómez and Nelson Ehrhardt
Status of the Resource and Fisheries
Brazil
The Brazilian fishery shows clear signs of overexploitation and significant fishing over capacity. Fishing mortality rates are three to four times the levels of the natural mortality and catch per unit of effort has decreased significantly in the last 15 years. The value of the exports in the State of Ceara, which accounts for over 60 percent of the national landings, dropped from $52 million to $36 million in the 1991-2002 period, mainly due to lower landings, and in spite of a price increase of $5 per kg for the exported lobsters during the same period.
The abundance of the stock follows significant historic increasing and decreasing trends that have been identified with changes in recruitment success. Recruitment success appears well correlated to changes in the intensity and directions of the prevailing winds, which are highly influenced by hemispheric atmospheric processes associated to El Niño/Southern Oscillation. The importance of wind as a physical driving variable influencing recruitment relates to the dynamics of change in the larval retention mechanisms in the along-shore nursery areas. The assessments indicate that the high levels of abundance observed in the late 1980s and early 1990s have dissipated considerably in the late 1990s. This later condition may also be the response of the stock to a high level of exploitation of juveniles.
Since 1995, the fishery has shown a disorderly growth of the fleet and diversification that appears out of control. This has been in the form of a significant "artisanalization" of the fleets by the entry of numerous sailboats and other small boats that previously directed their effort to fish and shrimp resources. Starting in 1995 the Government of Brazil authorized the use of gillnets in the lobster fishery, hence, opening opportunities to smaller crafts because of the ease of use and higher fishing effectiveness of gillnets.
Venezuela
The spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, fishery is artisanal and the resource is exploited in two main locations: the National Park Los Roques (48 percent of the landings) and the Los Testigos Archipelago (41 percent of the landings). Minor landings are also reported in the States of Zulia and Sucre. Total average of annual landings for the period 1985-1999 was 445 tonnes whole weight, however, landings in the 1993-99 period reached maximum levels above 900 tonnes per year. The fishery is important from an economic stand point due to the fact that most of the landed products are exported.
There are no formal programmes to assess the status of exploitation of the spiny lobster resources in Venezuela. Assessments carried out in the late 1990s at Los Roques National Park indicate a rather high level of exploitation of the resource in that area.
Fishery Management Problems
Brazil
Standard fishery management measures have been defined for controlling fishery exploitation of the spiny lobster fisheries. However, there is a significant problem with monitoring and controlling the implementation and execution of the measures. This is derived from two facts: 1) lack of appropriate funding to monitor and control; and 2) lack of appropriate legal frameworks to implement a more efficient fishery management programme.
The National Spiny Lobster Working Group recently recognized the need to educate fishers and to communicate better the merits of the different fishery management strategies. Communication of key issues to the political decision making levels is also recognized as not been sufficient to ameliorate the current crisis in the fishery.
The principal issues in fishery management are related to:
Lack of control on illegal use of scuba equipment and free diving and using artificial reefs to attract and concentrate the resource.
The general lack of monitoring and control of the fishery does not promote participants to contribute to the generation of information necessary to assess the effectiveness of the fishery management measures adopted. However, it is recognized that renewed efforts to collect more and better stock assessment data are appropriate. These efforts will contribute to improvements in the information base used to advise administrators on fishery management needs and approaches.
Venezuela
Several fishery management regulations are implemented in the fishery to include fishing seasons, minimum size, requirements regarding the use of fishing gear types and amount per boat, fishing areas, fishing licenses, etc. However, the level of enforcement of these regulations needs to be significantly improved. The main problem in this regard is with appropriate levels of funding to keep enforcement as an active process.
Recommendations
Brazil
To develop a strategic plan to reduce fishing effort. This plan should include the allowed amount of effort and the time needed to reduce the effort.
To study the consequences (economic and social) of establishing a limited-entry programme to the lobster fishery.
To develop a programme to regulate the most appropriate gear to be used in the fishery.
To develop international agreements with the main spiny lobster importing nations to jointly eliminate the trade of undersized lobsters.
To develop an educational programme pointing to the general public and resource users regarding the needs of conserving the lobster resource as a whole and of the impacts generated by the fishing industry on the resources and its environment.
To develop a basic education programme to eradicate illiteracy among fishers and their communities.
To develop and fund an integrated long-range multidisciplinary spiny lobster research programme that considers stock assessment activities and the corresponding data collections, studies on population dynamics to understand recruitment variability and reproductive potential of the stock. These activities should encompass the States of Pará, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Bahia and Espírito Santo. The activities should be implemented under the leadership of the Fisheries Research Center of Northern Brazil (CEPNOR) and the Fisheries Research Center of Northeastern Brazil (CEPENE) with direct participation of fisheries research groups at the local universities.
Venezuela
Establishment of a spiny lobster stock assessment and fishery management programme that will consider fleet characteristics, analysis of catch, effort and catch per unit of effort, assess the distribution of the resource relative to the fishing grounds, estimation of population parameters such as growth, fishing and natural mortality, reproductive dynamics and recruitment levels as well as sexual maturity. It is recommended to initiate a socio-economic study of the artisanal spiny lobster fishery in Venezuela.
Jorge Gallo, Ramona Rosa Nolasco, Pedro Marcio Castellón, Richard Kelly, Renaldy Barnutty and Jaime González-Cano
Status of the Caribbean Lobster Resource
The Caribbean lobster fisheries in this subregion are considered to be at a maximum exploitation level, therefore, measures should be taken that would lead to an appropriate resource management. In general, it was found that in the Honduras-Nicaragua platform, there are signs of growth over-exploitation, due to a fishing effort that has exceeded permissible limits in each of the fishing areas, in such a way that fishing effort has been oriented toward individuals of lesser age, which do not reach the minimum size at capture. This scene is due to the continuous growth of fishing fleets (equipment), lack of knowledge and control of artesanal fleet and lack of a legal framework that can limit the access to the fishery. Within the same platform, but in Luna Verde area, where the Colombian fleet is fishing, is considered that the fishery is stable and catches are normal. This is because effective fishing effort is just within the appropriate limits. However, it is recognized that there is a close relationship between the Luna Verde resource and the resource distribution in upper levels which belong to the Central American platform, and this dependency should be taken very much into consideration; taking into account the quota system being implemented since 2000, by Colombia and Nicaragua to manage this small region.
Just like for Honduras and Nicaragua, although at another scale, the same has happened in the case of Jamaica and Dominican Republic, where the increase of fishing effort and the absence of rules that can allow the control of fishing effort and established regulatory measures, had lead to over-exploitation of the resource around these islands and their fishing grounds.
On the other hand, fishing gears and number of effective days had been increasing, all that with the risk to continue over-dimensioning and over-capitalizing the fisheries and deteriorating the resource conditions. The previous facts shows the need to carry out economic studies which can allow to know the most appropriate levels of lobster fisheries management in this WECAFC subregion.
On the other hand, the current fisheries situation in this area has resulted in a larger number of decompressed divers and deaths from lobster fishing in the region. A situation that must be carefully analysed, and for which solutions should start to be provided, due to the implicated social problems.
Management Problems
In the review of problems that came up in this subregion the following were identified:
Inadequate legislation and lack or problems of inspection and surveillance.
Lack of knowledge and data updating related to biology, ecology, population dynamics, as well as socio-economic and bio-economic aspects of the fishery of this resource. There are important quantities of product caught, which are unreported in landing statistics, which generates a bias in resource exploitation assessments.
Lack of control of regulatory measures resulting from open access to the fisheries. Especially in cases such as Nicaragua, where currently more than 50 percent of catches come from artesanal fishing, which works under an unregulated scheme (open access).
To increase the penalties to those enterprises which do not comply with established regulations for healthy resource management.
There is an inadequate management of catches before entering into the marketing chain, which results in a decrease of the final price.
Lack of budget for follow-up activities and periodic execution of field works (biological sampling on board and at processing plants).
In Honduras and Nicaragua there is not compliance of regulations related to the number of pots or traps that each fishing vessel must use, as well as the measurement of the escape gap.
It is necessary to carry out training activities for resource users on lobster life cycle knowledge, because its knowledge will facilitate compliance of the adopted regulatory measures.
In the case of Honduras, statistical data collection has left too much to desire, and in the case of artesanal fisheries; practically there is no available information. It is recommended that this country should set up a more reliable data collection system.
There is lack of budget to exert an effective control and prosecution programme of the necessary measures to protect the resource.
There is lack of agreements with neighbouring countries to establish a regional close season or other type of measures, which can allow a better control of the resource.
Recommendations
In some of the countries of the subregion, artesanal and industrial fishing efforts (effective) should be reduced based on results from studies of resource exploitation. Likewise, a process to finish with the open access policy must be carried out and initiate a licensing project to limit the access to the fisheries, taking into consideration that fishing effort is over-dimensioned and there is a need to reduce it. (New management schemes.)
Review available information in order to reach an agreement between Colombia, Honduras and Nicaragua on a joint close season, which tentatively could be set up between May and June, because within these months the recruitment process occurs in Nicaragua and the estimated second reproduction peak period occurs in Colombia.
Gradually eliminate the use of diving assisted with compressed air equipment in fishing grounds of countries that make up the subregion.
Aimed at contributing to compliance of regulatory measures, awareness campaigns should be carried out for fishers, processors, traders and final consumers, to make known the way the resource is being managed and regulatory measures in force.
To produce publications (posters, magazines, etc.) that can make known regulatory measures in each of the countries in the region.
To carry out studies that can allow assessing from a socio-economic and bio-economic point of view the way the fisheries operate at a national and regional level.
To standardized lobster assessment methodologies in the Subregion.
To determine critical areas (nursery areas) and establish in these areas fishing restrictions or search for alternatives in order to observe the rules.
To improve quality control of fishery products in some countries, to allow countries to be more competitive with regards to established international standards and achieve better prices for the products.
To hold meetings between Colombia, Honduras and Nicaragua to carry out joint evaluation and regulatory actions. Besides the authorities, in these meetings should participate representatives from fisheries organizations involved in lobster fisheries management activities. In addition, if possible, some representative from organizations such as FAO to guarantee the agreements reached in the meeting.
Ramon Carcamo, María Estela de León, Armando Wakidi and Alejandro Medina
Scientists from participating countries of this group, namely Belize, Mexico (Yucatan and Quintana Roo coasts) and Cuba (South Western platform) presented their updated reports until 2001. A summary of the most important topics discussed is given below.
Belize
Larger catch levels were obtained between 1981 and 1985, with average catches of 900 tonnes, with lower landings from 1986 to 1994, which did not exceed 800 tonnes. From 1995, it can be noticed a recovery in production as a result, of the extension of the close season up to 120 days, since 1993. From the end of 2000, the fishing ground was affected by high intensity hurricanes; "Keith" hurricane of October 2000 affected Belize's north and central areas and later on "Iris" hurricane in October 2001, deteriorated the country's southern zone, lowering catches to less that 600 tonnes. Governmental support continues showing deficiencies to implement a systematic biological and fisheries monitoring programme that can allow a consistent assessment, which can be the basis for appropriate management of the resource. On the other hand, the number of protected areas (marine reserves) has been expanded, without a solid basis for locations' selection aimed at resource conservation, which has created conflicts with the fisheries sector.
Figure 1. Lobster Catches in Belize
South West of Cuba
Lobster landings, which during the Nineties were stabilized above 5 000 tonnes, during the last two years have dropped to values lower than 4 000 tonnes, as a combined effect of low recruitment levels of the fishery and deficient application of the close season during 2000 and 2001. The economic difficulties faced by the country in recent years, lead to limits in monitoring to only fishing grounds. Due to the importance spiny lobster has in the Cuban economy (US$70 million annually), a new integrated research programme is currently being developed, in which are interlinked studies on all the life cycle biology and fishery, in which are included the geographic reference of fishing gears, environment, improvement of processing technology within the industrial process and social research in communities associated to this fishery.
Figure 2. Lobster Catches in the Southwest of Cuba
Mexico
Since 2000, there have been significant changes in the fishery, specifically in the Yucatan State platform, where was extended the fishing ground towards deeper areas with the use of traps, which had involved a change in the structure of the population being exploited, and have been the reason for the lobster catches increase. However, in Quintana Roo area, landings have been kept stabilized around 500 tonnes annually, and remains being lower than productions obtained at the end of the Eighties. Mexico has continued with the biological fisheries study of the resource, and has continued with samplings of preadult lobster phases in Bahia de la Ascención and a juvenile monitoring programme in nursery areas in Banco Chinchorro has been initiated.
Figure 3. Lobster Catches in Mexico
Status of the Resource in the Subregion
The subregion presented maximum catches in the Eighties, a tendency toward the stabilization, which was noticed at the end of the Nineties, was interrupted by a decrease in catch volumes in 2000 and 2001. This situation is more evident in the Cuban fisheries, where a decrease of 42 percent took place with respect to the period 1980-89, in which were reported the largest landings.
Figure 4. Catches of the North Central subregion
Similarly to the report of the previous workshop, held in Merida in 2000, is considered that the resource is fully exploited and it is advisable that fishing effort should not be increased. Resource monitoring is at acceptable levels, as far as Mexico and Cuba. For Mexico, monitoring is being implemented in defined areas base on landings data and a systematic and extensive programme to obtain independent information of the fishery to do not exist. In the case of Cuba, a redesigning of the monitoring system has occurred recently, giving coverage in a systematic and extensive all fishing areas; they have information of the fishery both dependent and independent data. In both countries, a systematic assessment of the resource status is carried out and bio-economic models are applied, which are components used in resource management.
In Belize, continues the lack of basic data required for acquiring a minimum knowledge on the status of the resource. The resource monitoring programme keeps on without execution, data collection is limited to official production data from cooperatives, they don't have independent data of the fishery, and in fact the puerulus monitoring in collectors that were installed in 1997 has been abandoned. There is no budget allocated by the government for the implementation of monitoring activities.
Management Problems
Regarding management problems, in Belize are specifically reported the most serious problems, where continues the open access to the fishery for all national citizens and keeps on without having a fishing effort quantification. Fishers cooperatives have conflicts with the establishment of marine reserves, but their benefit in the protection of the lobster population has not been demonstrated.
Cuba's management is based on the maximum economic benefit and therefore, since 2002 has implemented a 110 days close season (from 10th February to 31st May) and is implementing fishing vessel log books along all the country and the positioning through GPS technology of all "casitas" used in the fishery.
Mexico increased slightly its fishing effort units in the Yucatan area, by granting a promotion fishing license, with two modalities: the first one on resource research in deep waters and the second one to assess the economic feasibility. Such fishing license is temporary, and at the end of its validity, scientific results will determine its continuity. A Fisheries Management Plan is under development, which includes social, biological, economic and environmental objectives. The fishing grounds at Mujeres islands in Quintana Roo are the areas which require most urgently this plan, due to the great urban and tourist development they have; with a possible impact in the habitat's quality of lobster nursery areas.
Recommendations
The following recommendations for each country were made during group discussions:
Belize
To immediately cancel granting fishing licences, that is to eliminate the open access regime to the fishery, even for national citizens.
To carry out censuses that can allow quantifying the real amount of unreported catches and at the same time take strong actions to disappear this black market, which is based mainly in preadult lobsters.
To promote the use of less aggressive fishing gears than the hook, to protect females during the spawning period and juveniles throughout the year.
To analyse again the established marine reserves, demonstrating its real socio-economic and biological impact on the main resource, and the possible location of these in lobster nursery areas.
To guarantee the procurement of independent information of the fishery to determine the status of the resource.
To implement in a systematic way catch and fishing effort data collection from cooperatives and retrieve historical information.
The government should internalize his duty of taking care of economic support for basic research on the resource as any other duty and not to depend on external budgets or grants.
Mexico
It is recommended not to increase fishing effort and when possible to reduce it. The resource is now at its maximum sustainable level.
There is a need for new research activities, in addition to strengthen monitoring activities of the fishery.
South Western Cuba
To maintain the current fisheries regulatory system, in particularly the 110 days close season.
To incorporate into fisheries analysis the environment variability and to deepen ecosystem studies associated to the lobster resource, to improve the fishery management system both at a national and regional level.
Lester Gittens, Tammy Trott, Rafael Puga, Williana Joseph, Wesley Clerveaux and Paul Medley
Biological Relationships
It is generally hypothesized that recruitment may be shared among national populations. It is most likely that relationships should be seen in cross correlations between recruitment indices. However, in the absence of recruitment indices, production may indicate a relationship between countries.
Figure 1. Whole spiny lobster production in tonnes by country in Group 4 subregion
Cuba North
St. Lucia
Turks and Caicos
Bermuda
The Bahamas
There is some evidence in terms of landings (Fig. 1; Table 1) of connections, but it is not clear whether these are driven by recruitment. Economic factors play a large role in determining catches and production.
Some changes in production are due to changes in effort rather than just lobster population size. Direct comparisons are difficult. North Cuba has shown a rapid expansion in effort in the last few years probably due to decreasing gear costs. Bermuda had a fish pot ban in 1990 and an experimental fishery 1991-1995. The Bahamas has shown a rapid expansion until 1990, but has probably reached full exploitation.
Table 1. Correlation matrix between time series of production by country in Group 4 subregion
|
|
Cuba North |
St. Lucia |
Turks and Caicos |
The Bahamas |
|
Cuba North |
1.00 |
|
|
|
|
St. Lucia |
-0.24 |
1.00 |
|
|
|
Turks and Caicos |
-0.62 |
-0.08 |
1.00 |
|
|
The Bahamas |
0.12 |
0.31 |
-0.09 |
1.00 |
The only discernible pattern is the negative correlation between Turks and Caicos and North Cuba. It is possible this pattern reflects movements of larvae following oceanographic cycles in distribution, although other plausible explanations could be provided. Only the non-trend production data (1990-2000) was used for The Bahamas.
Puerulus collectors are useful where countries have a long term commitment to data collection. The long term data series from the USA, Cuba and Mexico should continue to be compiled. However, it should be noted other recruitment indices, such as methods based on juvenile casitas, may be simpler to collect for some countries.
It is important to note that not only may populations cross national boundaries, but there may be several populations within national boundaries. Variables, such as catch, effort and size frequency need to be broken by population (i.e. shallow-water bank). The Turks and Caicos Islands manages one of these banks, but as it forms a separate national entity, the fishery is managed separately. The Bahamas, on the other hand, have several banks supporting lobster fisheries, although most product originates from the largest bank. Similarly, The Bahamas will need, ultimately, to manage each bank separately.
Other Relationships
There is no shared access to any of the national lobster populations among these countries. In St. Lucia, vessels do travel and land on other nearby islands, but none of these other islands (countries) were represented at the workshop.
Products are exported to the two main markets: USA and the EU. The main product is frozen tails, cooked whole lobster (Cuba) and live lobster. However, the smaller islands sell most of their lobster to tourism markets (hotels and restaurants) and very little is exported. For these countries, fisheries provide an important support for the tourist industry. Bermuda supplies a local market only.
Management Problems
There are a number of shared management problems in the subregion. In some cases, these might be addressed through regional cooperation. In other cases, sharing information may lead to each nation finding its own solution.
Attaining limited entry and, by extension, limited effort for many countries is proving difficult. A right to fish is often seen as part of national citizenship and is the implicit policy of many countries. This runs counter to the belief that limited entry is required for both ecological and economic sustainability. Although nations have a de facto right to manage their inshore resources as they wish, it should be emphasized that the stated policy should be consistent with this position. This illustrates a common confusion over what the policy really is towards the fishery. Scientific advice cannot be effective unless the scientist has a good understanding of the long and short term objectives of management.
Control of casitas is also a problem in the region. The Bahamas have uncontrolled deployment, and may possess too many casitas (condominiums). For Cuba, the deployment of casitas has not been controlled as well as it might, although recently a programme to map and allocate catches to casita sets should help manage this issue. If The Bahamas wish to manage their casitas, they will probably have to adopt similar methods.
Bermuda has succeeded in implementing both limited entry and trap control. St. Lucia recently tried implementing trap control, but failed when fishers were required to purchase trap tags as opposed to have them supplied free-of-charge. This suggests that fishers perceive their benefits would be low from such control.
Poaching, particularly from the Dominican Republic, was reported as a problem in the Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas. It was reported that a meeting has taken place between these countries, but no activities were agreed. Improved surveillance will probably have to wait until the Dominican Republic improves its fisheries information system.
Undersize lobsters are still being caught and sold in many fisheries. Enforcement is proving difficult, due to a lack of resources and political will. It was suggested that support for enforcement from receiving countries would help exporting countries, perhaps through a voluntary certification scheme. Given the improvement of conch management through CITES intervention as perceived by some countries, a similar scheme but under local control may help lobster management.
Many countries report a lack of political will in implementing unpopular decisions. While some decisions will have long term benefits, they can be politically costly in the short term. For example, prosecutions for minor infractions of the regulations may not be carried through to court, leading to de-motivation of the enforcement officers. The TCI participant suggested a system more akin to tickets for traffic violations as punishment rather than through the courts. Otherwise, co-management approaches, while not easy to implement, could strengthen political resolve to deal with many long term problems.
