Spiny lobsters

Image: © Pauline Bosserelle, SPC

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

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

Good to know: neighbouring communities should enforce the same management measures for spiny lobsters

Management of lobsters by individual communities is often difficult because the small drifting (larval) stages float in the sea for a very long time (often, over a year) before settling on reefs as juveniles. Therefore, the young produced by adult lobsters in a community’s fishing area may settle on reefs some distance away. 

If an atoll or a small island community takes actions to manage its lobster fishery, these are likely to benefit local fishers. If only one of many communities on a long coastline takes management actions, lobster numbers may still decrease if other, nearby communities have depleted their own lobster numbers. In this case, the best solution is for many neighbouring communities to work together and agree to the same management measures.

Fishing methods

In most Pacific Islands, the main fishing method used is the collection of lobsters by hand or by free diving at night with underwater lights. Some lobsters are taken by the use of spears and, unfortunately, underwater breathing apparatus is sometimes used. 

Many large-scale operations to catch lobsters in Pacific Islands have failed because the main species are generally present in low abundance and, except for the Hawaiian spiny lobster, do not enter traps or pots readily. It is important that fishery authorities reserve lobster fishing for local people selling to local markets.

Management measures in the region

Fishery authorities have applied minimum size limits on various species and these are available here (Reeflex), by selecting size limits in ‘select regulations’ and filtering by species. National size limits are particularly useful if lobster catches can be checked at relatively few market places. 

Some authorities have banned the taking of egg-bearing females and soft-shelled lobsters. Some have applied catch or bag limits (for example, 10 lobsters per person per day), banned the use of underwater breathing apparatus, and banned the export of lobsters.