Abstract

Large reproductive adults of Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) are being depleted in lobster populations throughout the Mesoamerican Reef. In Banco Chinchorro (BC, Mexico), an oceanic coralline atoll and Biosphere Reserve where fishing for P. argus is allowed, fishing pressure on reproductive adults is also high. Although catch rates have remained relatively stable for the last decade, catch rates were previously much higher and current lobster production is low. An inter-institutional steering committee was established to propose a series of actions in order to create alternative fishing practices and new management ideas, as a strategy for repopulating and analyzing local lobster stock of P. argus in BC. Based on knowledge obtained in previous studies carried out elsewhere in Mexico and in other Latin American countries, preventive measures for reducing fishing effort and pressure on reproductive adults in BC include a controlled deployment of “casitas” (large artificial shelters) as an innovative tool for local stock assessment that will provide useful data to examine juvenile growth rates, local migrations, and the potential for repopulation. Responsible use of casitas within a well regulated BR, incorporated in a cooperative based socio-economic scheme, is hereby perceived as a useful initiative for defining future management action plans in this area.