Rabbitfish

Image: © Eric Clua, SPC

To gain access to full information on rabbitfish, download the information sheet produced by the LMMA Network and SPC.

If you have noticed a decline in your catches or are concerned about rabbitfish populations, here are some priority actions the community can consider in addition to national regulations:

Good to know: choose minimum mesh size rather than banning of gill nets 

In some areas the banning of gill nets by fishing communities has protected against the overharvesting of rabbitfish on their spawning migrations and in their spawning aggregations. However, the permanent banning of gill net fishing may be unreasonable as adult rabbitfish (as well as mullet) are difficult to catch by other methods. An alternative is to restrict the use of small-mesh gill nets by imposing a minimum mesh-size. 

Good to know: combine community-managed area with other rules 

The setting up of a community-managed area where no fishing is allowed (a no-take area) may allow fish numbers to increase but will not protect the fish during their spawning migrations and at their aggregation sites unless other measures are taken.

Fishing methods 

Rabbitfish are caught by several different fishing methods: 

Spears are used at night when the fish are inactive and lying motionless on seagrass beds;  

Gill nets and beach seines are used to catch feeding schools and to catch the breeding fish;  

Small-mesh nets, cast nets, and seine nets are used to catch ‘bait balls’ of juvenile fish;  

Baited hooks and lines are also used, even though the fish are mainly plant eaters.

Many rabbitfish are caught as they gather in large groups to breed (in spawning aggregations). Fishing in this way is destructive as these breeding fish are responsible for producing small fish, many of which will grow and be available to be caught in future years.

Management measures in the region 

Several management measures have been applied to rabbitfish. Minimum size limits have been applied in many Pacific Island countries but it is doubtful that any nationally imposed regulation could be enforced over a large coastline with many fishing communities. Catch (bag) limits have also been applied, but such a measure is usually inappropriate in community fisheries unless the catch is to be sold.

Some fishing communities have banned night fishing with spears because the fish are vulnerable when sleeping in seagrass.