Abstract

The spiny lobster Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804) is the most important fishery for the Caribbean coast of Mexico and represents the highest lobster catch for this species in the country. The fishery was evaluated at the Chinchorro Bank Biosphere Reserve, one of the most productive zones in the area, providing 98 direct jobs for fishermen. Results suggest that fishing pressure on the spiny lobster has been over exploiting the stock in recent years, despite some non-explained, but non-significant changes in the stock biomass were observed that may have been induced by climate change. However, this fishery still is a profitable activity. Advice is given to enhance recruitment and to restore stock biomass; the risk of a socio- economic crisis requires a gradual reduction of fishing effort by shortening the fishing season in one week every year until the catch begins to show a tendency to increase evenly above 30 metric tons/year. Simulations suggest that if this management strategy is adopted, the stock biomass could be restored to levels more than twice the current values, implying the possibility of doubling the current number of fishers and profits under the framework of conservation.

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