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  WWF 1 Jun 06
Sustainable traps boost lobster conservation in Central America

Cayos Miskitus, Nicaragua: In a joint effort between WWF and Nicaragua's URACCAN University, fishermen here have tested and approved sustainable lobster traps in efforts to conserve the species.

The lobster traps are slightly modified compared with traditional ones, allowing for smaller lobsters to escape capture and mature.

Overfishing for undersized lobster, as well as female specimens carrying eggs, is a serious conservation problem facing Central America's Mesoamerican reef.

"We are delighted with the results of a recent test of traps that have the potential to curtail the illegal catch of hundreds of thousands of undersized lobsters," said Sylvia Marin, Regional Representative for WWF Central America. "Good management of fisheries, including lobsters, ensures that fishing remains a way of life for coastal communities."

Of all the fishing resources in this region, spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is the most important income source for a large number of coastal communities, especially as it fetches high market prices.

A Mexican fisherman, for example, can sell a 1kg lobster tail for US$22 in the market place. The same quantity will sell for about US$60?90 in a restaurant in the Mexican resort town of Cancun.

The Nicaraguan fishermen who tested the sustainable lobster traps found that the alterations do not diminish the catch of legally-sized lobsters.

"Fishermen appreciate the fact that there are longer-term benefits of letting the undersized lobsters go," said Alicia Medina, WWF Technical Officer for the Mesoamerican Reef. "They recognize both the conservation and economic value of saving them."

Also recognizing the importance of a sustainable lobster fishery is the Central American Fishing Organization (OSPESCA), which has included size restrictions for traps in its regulations.

"Although OSPESCA's measurements are a bit smaller than the trap measurements we recommend, we consider their new regulations as an important step towards the conservation of spiny lobster and other fish caught in traditional traps used by local fishermen," Medina added.

With fishermen in Nicaragua starting to adopt sustainable lobster traps, WWF is working to replicate the success in other Mesoamerican reef countries, including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

The Mesoamerican Reef is the second longest barrier reef in the world, only surpassed by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It spans more than 1,000km, from the northern end of the Yucatan Peninsula to the northern coast of Honduras, including Belize and Guatemala.

The reef contains a large diversity of coral reefs, in addition to other important ecosystems such as beaches, mangroves, lagoons, and seagrasses. This array of systems fosters the reproduction, nesting, and feeding of a great diversity of mammal, fish, marine turtles, and invertebrates, including the spiny lobster.
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