Experiences in the use of lobster traps for the fishing of spiny lobster Panulirus gracilis in the Tumbes Region, Peru

Abstract

Experiences in the use of lobster traps for the fishing of spiny lobster Panulirus gracilis in the Tumbes Region, Peru. Bol Inst Peru. 33(1): 35-42.- The spiny lobster Panulirus gracilis is an emblematic species of the Tumbes region. In this region, fishery is artisanal and bottom gillnets are used as fishing gear by local fishermen, causing the catching of ovigerous and small lobsters, bycatch and ghost fishing, and marine pollution. This study aims to evaluate a lobster trap that allows the capture of lobsters in a selective and ecofriendly way. Single or double-entry traps (15x15 cm entry) were tested both in experimental tanks and in the sea. Tank trials showed that there is no significant difference between catching lobsters using single or double-entry traps (T test, t = -0.872, p = 0.386). However, there is a significant difference in the size structure between the captured lobsters and the lobsters found outside the traps (ANOVA, F = 22.060, p = 0). During the tests at sea no lobsters were caught. This study shows that the traps catches lobsters under controlled conditions. It is important to consider the size of the trap entry in order to select the size of the lobsters to be caught. The authors suggest to continue testing at sea to include other factors that cannot be evaluated in the tanks.