Questionnaire Report for Spiny lobster
(MERA version 4.1.6)
Abdul Ben-Hasan (abenhasan@gmail.com)
2019-05-09
1 About this document
This is a prototype of an automatic report that documents how the user specified the operating model and their various justifications.
2 Introduction
Describe the history and current status of the fishery, including fleets, sectors, vessel types and practices/gear by vessel type, landing ports, economics/markets, whether targeted/bycatch, other stocks caught in the fishery. (from noaa website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster) “There is one stock in the southeast Atlantic—the South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico stock. In addition, there are three stocks in the Caribbean—the Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Croix stocks. According to the 2010 stock assessment, the population status of the South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico stock is unknown (there was too much uncertainty in the data to make a stock status determination). The population status of the Puerto Rico, St. John/St. Thomas, and St. Croix stocks are unknown because these stocks have not been assessed. The South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico stock is not subject to overfishing based on 2016 catch data. The St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Croix stocks are not subject to overfishing, based on 2015 catch data. The Puerto Rico stock is not subject to overfishing based on 2017 catch data.” (from assessment report: http://sedarweb.org/docs/suar/Final_Spiny_lobster_Update%20SAR_final.pdf) Spiny lobsters are targeted by divers, traps and recreational fishers.
Describe the stock’s ecosystem functions, dependencies, and habitat types. (from noaa website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster) “Caribbean spiny lobster are found along the continental shelf of the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Texas, in Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean Sea, and south to Brazil.”
Provide all relevant reference materials, such as assessments, research, and other analysis. noaa website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster Assessment report: http://sedarweb.org/docs/suar/Final_Spiny_lobster_Update%20SAR_final.pdf Paper: The Florida spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery (RESEARCH FINAL REPORT - 15 January 2018) (found in Supporting docs)
3 Fishery Characteristics
3.1 Longevity
| Answered |
|---|
| Very short-lived (5 < maximum age < 7) |
| Short-lived (7 < maximum age < 10) |
| Moderate life span (10 < maximum age < 20) |
| Moderately long-lived (20 < maximum age < 40) |
| Long-lived (40 < maximum age < 80) |
| Very long-lived (80 < maximum age < 160) |
| Justification |
|---|
| Table 2.3.1. in the assessment report: http://sedarweb.org/docs/suar/Final_Spiny_lobster_Update%20SAR_final.pdf |
3.2 Stock depletion
| Answered |
|---|
| Crashed (D < 0.05) |
| Very depleted (0.05 < D < 0.1) |
| Depleted (0.1 < D < 0.15) |
| Moderately depleted (0.15 < D < 0.3) |
| Healthy (0.3 < D < 0.5) |
| Underexploited (0.5 < D) |
| Justification |
|---|
| There is high uncertainty in the stock status as indicated in the assessment report (report: http://sedarweb.org/docs/suar/Final_Spiny_lobster_Update%20SAR_final.pdf); however, the assessment report that the stock is not experiencing overfishing and SSB is increasing in 2003-2009 (Figure 3.1.2.9.3) |
3.3 Resilence
| Answered |
|---|
| Not resilient (steepness < 0.3) |
| Low resilience (0.3 < steepness < 0.5) |
| Moderate resilence (0.5 < steepness < 0.7) |
| Resilient (0.7 < steepness < 0.9) |
| Very Resilient (0.9 < steepness) |
| Justification |
|---|
| Steepness is highly uncertain for this stock (assessment report: http://sedarweb.org/docs/suar/Final_Spiny_lobster_Update%20SAR_final.pdf) |