Abstract

The community based artisanal spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery has been in operation within the Ascension Bay region of The UNESCO Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan, Mexico, for approximately 50 years. Fishermen are organized in a community-based cooperative, Cooperativa de Pescadores Vigía Chico. The cooperative shows exemplary management techniques, obtaining sustainable and constant landings within the shallow lagoonal patch reef environment, compared with many lobster fisheries within the Caribbean that have experienced a sharp decrease or collapsed in recent years. Sustainability of this fishery has been achieved by establishing a sense of stewardship in all fishermen, dividing the lagoon into individually owned ‘fishing-fields’. The use of concrete lobster aggregating devices (‘shades’ or ‘sombras’) was developed from techniques used by Cuban fishermen who fished in the area in the 1950s. Fishermen check their individual shades every couple of days with the use of snorkel equipment. These aggregation devices, in combination with the shallow nature of the reef, allow fishermen to be selective and to land full body lobsters, permitting fishermen to comply with national and park regulations on minimum carapace size and no landing of berried females. Seasonal restrictions also apply, allowing for the natural re-stocking of populations. Local fishermen have been developing alternative livelihood strategies, such as eco-tourism, in order to maintain the longterm sustainability of the lobster fishery. Future plans include the introduction of an eco-labelling programme in order to promote sustainable practices and to be able to target specific market niches.

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