Abstract

Nicaraguan water was considered as an open access in which no regulation would comply. The close season mainly for lobster is a regulation that Nicaragua national government began to apply in June 2000.\The Municipality of Corn Island is composed of two islands, Great Corn Island and Little Corn Island; both islands are 100% fishing communities. The islands are situated around 83.3 km east of the city of Bluefields, South Autonomous Atlantic Region (RAAS) of Nicaragua. Great corn Island has an area around 23½ km 2 , composed of five neighborhoods.\The spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is one of the principal fisheries resources for exportation captured in the Caribbean sea of Nicaragua, and it is the resource that generates the highest income for the populations of the Corn Islands. Due to the low volume of lobsters captured in the last few years, a closed season for this resource wass implemented.\The objective of this study, is to determine the impact of the closed season, to evaluate what is the effect in the life of the islanders before, during and, after the closed season, and what solution they can propose to do during the closed season to generate income.\This will serve as a guide for decision makers or coastal managers as a previous consultation that can be used to promote the proposals that can emerge during the study.\To obtain this information it was necessary to interview key informants and a focus group, utilize a questionnaire, obtain secondary data, and direct observation.

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