Abstract

Traps are used extensively in the Caribbean region for catching fishes and crustaceans in diverse habitats, and traps may affeet the natural dynamics ofhabitats as well as exploited populations. An interdisciplinary study incorporating fisher knowledge and quantitative field surveys is investigating the habitat effects of traps. Here, we report on trap fishing methods today and fishers' perception of current trends and localized problems in Puerto Rico. Forty-seven trap fishers representing 5 regions (north, south, east, west, and islands) were interviewed on site about gear construction, effort, habitat preferences and fishers' perceptions of the main problems in the fishery and their possible solutions. Materials used in fish traps have been ehanging, over time; however, the main routine for setting traps remains generally the same with some localized variations. Despite its traditional dominance in local artisanal fisheries, more than half of the interviewed trap fishers have reduced their number of traps; therefore individual effort seems to be declining. Coral reefs were not reported as a preferred fish trap location, but rather areas adjacent to reefs (sand, seagrass, gorgonian. and algal habitats) are targeted. The main problems reported by fishers in Puerto Rico are trap theft, loss of buoys, and environmental degradation, problems that correspond to increasing effort by commercial divers, increasing numbers of recreational vessels infishing areas, and coastal development. Additionally, the numbers of unregulated recreational vessels and the increases in trap/catch theft in fishing areas have promoted the use of unbuoyed traps, which in turn leads to an increase in ghost traps. Ghost traps are known to continue fishing long after they are lost and maybe causing unknown effects on fishing grounds, therefore trap loss needs to be considered in fisheries management regulations. Some suggestions to alleviate these problems include enforcement at sea and zoning schemes.

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