THE SPINY LOBSTER FISHERY IN NICARAGUA: A SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM APPROACH TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

THE SPINY LOBSTER FISHERY IN NICARAGUA: A SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM APPROACH TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

By Rodolfo Chang Bennett

Thesis Advisors: Dr. Robert Steneck and Dr. James Wilson

A Lay Abstract of the Thesis Presented

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Degrees of Master of Science

(in Marine Biology)

and

Master of Science

(in Marine Policy)

December, 2010

The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is Nicaragua’s most economically valuable marine resource, but there is growing concern about the sustainability of this fishery.   In this study, I assessed Nicaragua’s lobster fishery as a linked social-ecological system. Specifically, I 1) analyzed trends in landings, fishing effort, and changes in abundance overtime, 2) conducted a higher resolution assessment of recent small scale changes in lobster abundance and body size relative to local artisanal fishing practices, and 3) analyzed institutional arrangements governing the fishery.

In general, the development of the fishery is shaped by national and international political changes and those changes are linked to market conditions that affected the socio-economic landscape of the fishery. Overall, the fishery has shown relatively static landings over the last decade and has fluctuated near estimated maximum sustainable yield. This could be interpreted as a stable and mature fishery. However, in the last decade, the artisanal segment of the fishery experienced sharp increases in effort, which has likely increased pressure on lobster stocks but in ways not easily quantified. Likewise, although industrial fishing effort (number of boats) is in decline, real effort may be increasing or in consolidation.

Data on two distant local dive fishing territories (Pearl Cays and King’s Cays) showed that the first had more intense fishing pressure resulting in lower lobster abundance and smaller sizes than the later. Likewise, access to the resource is treated differently, the Pearl Cays is an open access fishery but access to the King’s Cay area is limited to a single community.  Arguably, limited access contributes to the apparently more sustainable fishery in the King’s Cay territory. However, dive fishing, in both areas, resulted in an average 22% catch of illegal size lobsters, which raises the possibility for growth overfishing. 

Although not evident, Nicaragua may be stressing its lobster resource due to the failure of common pool resource management. Although I am not able to prove that fishing pressures are currently approaching dangerous levels, the prudent way to proceed is to manage the stock more conservatively.