Lobster fisheries and management in india and indian ocean rim countries

Abstract

The chapter summarises overview of the global lobster fisheries with special focus on status and challenges faced by lobster fisheries of India. Annual production by the states in India, gears used, species composition, biology of major species and the fishery management in comparison to the fishing regulations in the best managed fisheries in the world are discussed. The world total capture fisheries production in 2014 was 93.4 million tonnes, including output from inland waters. Production from world lobster capture fisheries was an average 269,604 t (2003-2016). Annual landing crossed 0.3 million t in 2014 and was 314, 806 t in 2016. Although lobster constitutes just 0.3% of the total global capture fisheries production, the resource is a commercially valuable seafood with high unit value. Canada stands first with an annual production of 0.09 million tonnes (2015) followed by USA (0.069 m t), with both these countries together contributing about 51.8% of the world production. Between 2000 and 2015, the fisheries production of the American clawed lobster, Homarus americanus, increased over 85% (1,57,064 t). All the palinurids together form 30.2% of the total global production. Australia with an average annual production of 11,392 t (2008-2014) contributes maximum to the total spiny lobster production. The most productive regions in the northern hemisphere from the lobster fisheries point of view are FAO fishing area 21 (USA and Canada) followed by the fishing area 27. In the southern hemisphere, the FAO fishing area 57 (Australia and Indonesia) lands an average 13,485 t (2008-2012) with an increase in landing during 2014 (14,017 t) and 2015 (15,029 t). The single most important spiny lobster fishery in the world is that of the Caribbean or Florida spiny lobster, Panulirus argus. Lobster is a valuable crustacean resource harvested by India and the countries bordering the Indian Ocean. Although lobster constitutes only 0.05% of the annual marine fish catch of India (2010-2015), export fetches an average Rs. 196 crores (USD 32 million) in foreign exchange annually. Commercially exploited lobsters in India belong to the families Palinuridae and Scyllaridae. The multispecies resource is intensively exploited by both artisanal and mechanised sectors, with the latter contributing around 67% of the total catch. Among the 38 species constituting the lobster fauna of India, only 4 species of palinurids (Panulirus polyphagus, P. homarus homarus, P. ornatus, Puerulus sewelli) and 1 species of scyllarid (Thenus unimaculatus) significantly contribute to the fishery. Though lobsters are distributed almost throughout the Indian coast, major fisheries are located on the northwest, northeast and the southern Indian region. The two northwestern states Gujarat and Maharashtra and the northeast state of West Bengal together contribute an average 65% of the total annual country catch (2007-2014). P. polyphagus forms 61% of the total annual catch and is the dominant species along the northwest and northeast coasts. P. homarus homarus, P. ornatus and T. unimaculatus are the major species constituting the fishery along the southern region. The major share of the lobster landing in India is held by the trawlers, forming 67% of the total annual catch. The share of the state of Gujarat to the total annual lobster landing is 28%, followed by Maharashtra, 27%; Tamil Nadu, 15%; Kerala, 13%; West Bengal, 10%; and Andhra Pradesh, 5% (2007-2014). In Gujarat, P. polyphagus forms 67% of the total catch and T. unimaculatus the rest. The annual total catch for 2014 and 2015 shows an upward trend with the production almost nearing 3000 t in 2015. In Maharashtra, the current fishery is almost completely dominated by P. polyphagus (94.2%), though during 1978-1985, the percentage contribution of P. polyphagus was 54%, with T. unimaculatus contributing the rest. Total collapse of the T. unimaculatus fishery in 1995 is a classic example of recruitment overfishing, which is not precluded by growth overfishing. In Tamil Nadu, the major species contributing to the fishery are P. homarus homarus (40%) and T. unimaculatus (38%). The Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu on the southwest coast of India was once the major lobster landing region of the country (313 t in 1965). However, intensive exploitation and absence of effective fishing regulations resulted in gradual decline, with the average catch reaching at 9 t (2003-2010). In Kerala, T. unimaculatus, P. homarus homarus and P. sewelli are the three major species supporting fisheries. The deep-sea lobster fishery is centred around the southern region with meagre landing in recent years. Stock assessment study conducted on P. polyphagus fishery of Mumbai concluded that the estimated combined average MSY of males and females (168.42 t) is very low against the yield (243.5 t) and therefore effort reduction to the tune of 40% is necessary for the sustainability of the stock. Management of the spiny and slipper lobster trawl fishery is complicated by failure to enforce regulations due to the practical difficulties of implementing fishing restrictions, as the resource is a bycatch in trawlers. Mesh regulation and closed season for lobster fishing during the peak breeding months are management options that can be considered for implementation in the artisanal fishery. The Central Government has notified min-imum legal size (MLS) for lobster export; however, the state governments have not enforced MLS for fishing, except the state of Kerala. Co-management initiatives to regulate artisanal fishing using gillnets are being considered by constituting Fishery Management Councils with representatives of the fishermen, scientists, administrators, fishery professionals and NGOs. If the fishermen can agree to a minimum legal size for fishing, ban on using gillnet and trammel net for lobster fishing and take a decision for a fishing holiday during the peak breeding season, the resource may be prevented from further depletion. The lobster fisheries of the countries bordering Indian Ocean and the resource management in these countries are discussed in the light of unorganised lobster fishery management in India. Globally, so far, 259 marine fisheries have been certified by the MSC, of which 13 are lobster fisheries and 5 are exclusively spiny lobster fisheries. The first lobster fishery certified by MSC was the Western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus trap fishery, which has been recertified for the fourth time.