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In South Africa we have an example of a long-line trap fishery for spiny lobster
(Palinurus gilchristi) where the fishery is managed by TAC and individual quotas,
yet where there is intense competition between skippers for their share of the
company quota allocation. We see escalation in the number of traps, an increase in
the soak time due to the use of double or triple sets of gear, which we do not think
is triggered by declining catch rates, but which we worry has caused a reduction in
catch rate per trap because of competition between traps, namely effort saturation.
Does anybody know anything about effort saturation effects, preferably in lobster
trap fisheries.
Another somewhat related question is what are the merits of closed seasons in
lobster resources managed by TAC's and individual quotas. One possibility put to
us is the reduction in the fishing impact on females in berry. This makes sense if
there is an aggregation of in-berry females at a particular time of year. However,
we frequently get into arguments with the local fishing industry who claim that a
closed season has a biological benefit even if females are in-berry evenly
throughout the year and there is no evidence of any aggregating at particular times
of the year. They argue that one should let the fishing grounds rest, and the females
to breed, for two to three months of the year. Does anybody have experience with
closed seasons in this context, or are there other rationales for closed seasons.
Any feedback on the topics above would be of great interest.
Thanks
Dr Amos Barkai and Dr Mike Bergh
OLRAC CC
2 Titus Way Constantia 7806
Cape Town
Tels. 27 (0)21 7120929/758577
Mobile - 082 8082276
Fax - 27 (0)21 7131647
Email - [log in to unmask]
website - www.olrac.com
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