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Jamaica Industrial spiny lobster - Offshore banks
Fishery  Fact Sheet
WECAFC Fishery Resources Report 2016
Jamaica Industrial spiny lobster - Offshore banks
Fact Sheet Citation  
Caribbean Spiny lobster fishery - industrial
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Overview: 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 represents an important component of the total landings of the Jamaican commercial fishery. There are six types of lobsters that are found in Jamaican waters where Panulirus guttatus and Panulirus argus are the only two species that are commercially valuable. Large concentration of lobsters is found on the Pedro Banks accounting for about 60 percent of the total landings in the industrial fishery which is mainly for the export market. The only gear type allowed to be utilised by the industrial fishers is the Florida trap. Lobsters are mainly exported to the United States, Canada, Panama, Netherlands Antilles, Cayman Islands and Martinique.

Location of Jamaica Industrial spiny lobster - Offshore banks
 
Fishery Ident  Fishery Ident

Geographic reference:  Jamaica
Spatial Scale: Value
Reference Year: 2015
Approach: Fishing Activity

Fishing Activity
Fishing Gear: Traps (nei)
Type of production system: Industrial; Exploratory fishery
Fishery Area: Jamaica

Seasonality: July to March

Harvested Resource
Target Species: Caribbean spiny lobster

Means of Production
Vessel Type: Fishing vessels not specified
ident Block
Type: Measure

Table of Contents
Overview - Fishing Activity - Post Harvest - Management - Source of Information - Bibliography
Fishing Activity
Type of production system: Industrial; Exploratory fishery   

Fishery Area
Bottom type: Coral reef; Soft bottom clean sand.   Vertical distribution: Benthic.  

Offshore banks (Pedro, Formigas and Morant banks). Description of the biotic and abiotic characteristics of the fishing ground for industrial fishers is currently under review.

Geo References
Resources Exploited
Caribbean spiny lobster - Jamaica shelf and offshore Pedro, Formigas y Morant banks
Target Species
Species thumbnailPanulirus argus
FAO Names : en - Caribbean spiny lobster, fr - Langouste blanche, es - Langosta común del Caribe

Carapace: 76 mm and over.
Fishing Gear
Traps (nei)
Florida lobster pot (wooden)
Vessel Type
Fishing vessels not specified
Catch Handling and Processing Equipment
Freezer
Crew
3
Flag State
Jamaica
Related Fisheries - Fishery(ies) switching activity seasonally or targeting the same stock
Jamaica Industrial queen conch fishery - Shallow waters and offshore banks
Seasonality
July to March

Environmental limitations

Hurricanes, bad weather or sea conditions may affect harvest levels.
Trip Duration
7-8 days (mother vessel), 1-3 days (carrier).
Fishery Indicator List
Fishery Indicator
Fishery Indicator Fishery Indicator Fishery Indicator Fishery Indicator Fishery Indicator
Type Measure 16 (13 mother vessel - 3 carrier)vessels2014
Type Measure 55Persons2015
Post Harvest
 
Fish Utilisation
Whole lobster, tail and head meat.
Markets
USA, United Kingdom
Management
Management: Management

Jurisdictional framework
Management Body/Authority(ies): National Fisheries Advisory Committee
Mandate: Management.  
Area of Competence: Jamaica
Maritime Area: Archipelagic Zone.  
Management Body/Authority(ies): Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
Mandate: Management.  
Area of Competence: Jamaica
Maritime Area: Archipelagic Zone.  
Management Regime
Management Methods

Fisheries Regulations with focus on spawner/juvenile protection, fish size limit - Binding

  • Aquatic species-related measures
    Minimun legal size (Carapace length of 76 mm).
  • Gear-related measures
    Gear type, gear dimension.
  • Fishing activity-related measures
    Prohibited capture of berried and undersize lobster.
Pre LabelFIGIS Cond Link
Source of Information
 
Fisheries Division of Jamaica, Ministry of Agriculture. Personal communication, January 2016.  Click to openhttp://www.moa.gov.jm/Fisheries/index.php
Bibliography
 
Cooke-Panton, K. 2014. An analysis of Puerulus settlement of the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) stock in Jamaica with practical management recommendations.
Morris, R. A. 2011. A Bioeconomic analysis of the jamaican industrial Spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery. United Nations University, Fisheries Training Programme.  Click to openhttp://www.unuftp.is/static/fellows/document/ricardo10_prf.pdf
Martin-Murray, A. 2010. The use of production models and length frequency data in stock assessments in Jamaica fisheries, building on the Caribbean spiny lobster observations. [Unpublished/manuscript]. United Nations University, Fisheries Training Programme.
Kellym R. Report on the Spiny lobster fishery in Jamaica. In Report of the second workshop on the management of Caribbean spiny lobster fisheries in the WECAFC Area. Havana, Cuba, 30 September - 4 October 2002. FAO Fisheries Report/FAO Informe de Pesca. No. 715. Rome. FAO, 2003. 273p.  Click to openhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4931B/y4931b0e.htm#bm14
Aiken, K. and Kong, G. 2000. The Marine Fisheries of Jamaica. NAGA, 23(1): 29-35.  Click to openhttp://pubs.iclarm.net/Naga/na_2365.pdf
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. MSc. Thesis, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Barbados.
Aiken, K. 1997. Jamaica spiny lobster investigations. FAO Fish. Rep. 200: 11-22.
Haughton, M.O. and King, D.P.F. 1989. Stock Assessment of the spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) in Jamaica. Proc. Gulf Carib. Fish. Inst. 42:119-126.
Aiken, K. 1984. Lobsters – Their biology and conservation in Jamaica. Jamaica Journal. 17(4):44-17.
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