Abstract

The destructive and illegal practice of using chemicals (bleach, dishwashing liquid, gasoline) to catch spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is thought to be common throughout much of the Bahamian Archipelago. Injection of a chemical irritant into a lobster den will result in either a rapid escape response or a subduing effect, both of which make it easier to capture spiny lobster. We used laboratory trials to determine the efficacy of a Starch-Iodide swab technique, previously developed for the detection of bleach usage in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery, on P. argus. Tests were conducted on male and female spiny lobsters of varying sizes (juvenile, sub adult and adult), each of which were swabbed for the presence of test chemicals on their exoskeleton at varying intervals before and after exposure. All lobsters exposed to bleach tested positive immediately following exposure and for varying periods thereafter. No false positives were detected on control lobsters. The length of time that the chemical remained detectable on the exoskeleton varied, some individuals testing positive 12 hours after exposure. This swab technique will provide fisheries enforcement officers with a powerful tool to reduce or eliminate the illegal use of bleach for harvesting lobster throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and wider Caribbean.

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