Volume 52
Overview of the Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus, Commercial Fishery in Puerto Rico During 1992 – 1998
Authors
Matos-Caraballo, D. Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 1999
Pages: 194-203
Event: Proceedings of the Fifty Second Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Key West, Florida
Country: USA
Abstract
Puerto Rico's fishery has shown symptoms of overfishing for the last fifteen years. The spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is the most important shellfish in this fishery. Since 1985, P. argus has been protected by fishing regulations. The minimum legal size for this species is 89mm (3.50 inches) carpace length (CL). This measure is related with the minimun size of sexual maturation. Landings data indicated that 1.6 million pounds were caugth in Puerto Rico during 1992-1998. Traps caugth 51% of the P. argus landings and divers caugth 41% during the same period. To evaluate the resource's status it is necessary among other criteria to obtain size frequency data. From 1992-1998, 5,354 P. argus caught by commercial fishermen in Puerto Rico were measured by personnel of the Fisheries Research Laboratory of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.\The landings, catch per unit of effort (CPUE), and biostatistical data during 1992 - 1998 have been analyzed to evaluate the status of P. argus.