LOBSTER FISHERY BY THE KUNA INDIANS IN THE SAN BLAS REGION OF PANAMA (KUNA YALA)

Abstract

The San Bias archipelago along the Atlantic coast of Panama is inhabited exclusively by Kuna Indians, who maintain the rights to exploit fishery resources in the area. Exportation of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, to Panama City constitutes one of the major sources of income for the Kuna economy. No published data exist on either the magnitude of the fishery or the life history and population dynamics of P. argus anywhere in Panama. We monitored P. argus export in two areas of Kuna Yala over a period spanning 16 months. We gathered data on weight, length, sex, and reproductive state of all lobsters comprising the catch of each day. Overall, the sex ratio of P. argus in the San Bias was not significantly different from unity. However, there was a significant excess of females among smaller size classes ( 20% of the females carried eggs. Reproductive females were present during all 9 months covered by our monitoring, with no clear peak in their proportion, indicating year-round reproduction. Average measured daily export of P. argus to Panama City was 11.7 kg at one locality and 20.1 kg (in one of three outlets) at the other. Total estimated annual export was 18 t from these two localities and 92.48 t from the entire San Bias region. At 1998 prices, the total income to the Kuna nation from lobster export was estimated as US$ 620,388.00. Median carapace length of exported lobsters (83 mm in one locality, 77 mm in the other) was only slightly larger than the size at first sexual maturity. Thus, slightly less than half of the export consists of pre-reproductive individuals. However, because Kunas only fish for lobster by free-diving during the day, there is a sanctuary for lobster in depths >20 m. Removal of small P. argus individuals and harvesting of shallow coral for the construction of sea walls are the greatest threats to the resource. As of 1998, the estimated yield per km2 (67 kg) was relatively high compared with other areas of the Caribbean, considering that no traps, nets, or SCUBA diving are employed in the fishery.