Lobster Fisheries and Management in India and Indian Ocean Rim Countries

Abstract

The chapter summarises overview of the global lobster fisheries with special focus on status and challenges faced by lobster fisheries of India. Annual production by the states in India, gears used, species composition, biology of major species and the fishery management in comparison to the fishing regulations in the best managed fisheries in the world are discussed. The world total capture fisheries production in 2014 was 93.4 million tonnes, including output from inland waters. Production from world lobster capture fisheries was an average 269,604 t (2003-2016). Annual landing crossed 0.3 million t in 2014 and was 314, 806 t in 2016. Although lobster constitutes just 0.3% of the total global capture fisheries production, the resource is a commercially valuable seafood with high unit value. Canada stands first with an annual production of 0.09 million tonnes (2015) followed by USA (0.069 m t), with both these countries together contributing about 51.8% of the world production. Between 2000 and 2015, the fisheries production of the American clawed lobster, Homarus americanus, increased over 85% (1,57,064 t). All the palinurids together form 30.2% of the total global production. Australia with an average annual production of 11,392 t (2008-2014) contributes maximum to the total spiny lobster production. The most productive regions in the northern hemisphere from the lobster fisheries point of view are FAO fishing area 21 (USA and Canada) followed by the fishing area 27. In the southern hemisphere, the FAO fishing area 57 (Australia and Indonesia) lands an average 13,485 t (2008–2012) with an increase in landing during 2014 (14,017 t) and 2015 (15,029 t). The single most important spiny lobster fishery in the world is that of the Caribbean or Florida spiny lobster, Panulirus argus.