Chavez, E.A.

Aquatic Commons

Socio-economic Assessment for the Management of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster 
 
ERNESTO A. CHÁVEZ 
Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR-IPN), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. IPN s/n, Col. Sta. Rita, 
Playa el Conchalito, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, México 
 
ABSTRACT  
The spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) tails catch of the Caribbean countries accounts for more than 11,000 tones, with a value of 
286 Million USD; it provides jobs to 32,000 fishers, and yearly profits approach 169 Million USD.  A biological and socio-
economic assessment was made in the whole spiny lobster catch records.  Diagnosis made on the condition of the stocks suggests 
that overfishing has been the main cause of decrease in biomass, profits, and social benefits.  Then, optimum socio-economic 
harvesting strategies were explored with the aid of a simulation model, and pros and contras of social and economic benefits 
compared under three scenarios were examined as possible targets of the fisheries.  Social and economical importance of the spiny 
lobster fisheries in the Caribbean justifies the creation of an institution devoted as a main goal, to monitoring the state of stocks to 
provide advice to the fisheries industry for ensuring the optimum sustainable exploitation of lobster stocks. 
 
KEY WORDS. Spiny lobster, fisheries, Caribbean, management, optimum harvesting strategies 
 
Evaluacion Socio-economica para el Menejo de las Pesqueritas de Langosta del Caribe 
 
La captura anual de colas de langosta del Caribe (Panulirus argus), supera las 11,000 t con un valor de 286 millones de 
dólares; provee de empleo a 32,000 pescadores y genera utilidades por unos 169 millones de dólares. Se hizo una evaluación socio-
económica de todas las pesquerías basada los datos estadísticos de la FAO. Un diagnóstico de la condición de estas pesquerías 
sugiere que la presión de pesca excesiva ha sido la causa principal de los decrementos en la biomasa, en las utilidades y en los 
beneficios sociales. Se exploraron las estrategias socio-económicas óptimas de pesca con ayuda de un modelo de simulación en tres 
escenarios como posibles objetivos de manejo. La importancia económica y social de las pesquerías de langosta del Caribe 
justificaría la creación de una institución dedicada esencialmente a la evaluación constante de las existencias para un manejo 
informado que garantice la explotación óptima de las pesquerías de langosta en el largo plazo. 
 
PALABRAS CLAVES:  Langosta del Caribe, pesquería, Caribe, manejo, estrategias óptimas de pesca 
Proceedings of the 60th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute     November 5 - 9, 2007   Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 
NTRODUCTION 
Spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is the main fishery of  
the Caribbean countries; regional importance of scientific 
research addressed to evaluation of these stocks is far of 
being satisfactory.  Overexploitation of stocks lead to socio 
economic crisis in some regions of the Caribbean  
(Memorando de Nicaragua 2005), motivated by the 
economic pressure on a fishery rather than on advice 
scientifically supported.  Most spiny lobster harvested by 
the Caribbean countries is exported to the USA. 
Fisheries of the Caribbean were evaluated from the 
biological and socio-economic viewpoints.  This assess-
ment allowed to evaluate the potential production of the 
whole stocks, and to provide a baseline for optimizing the 
fisheries. 
 
METHODS 
 Catch of all 25 countries exploiting spiny lobster 
was examined by adding all the catch records contained in 
the FAO statistics.  Population parameter values were 
taken from González-Cano (1991) and De León (2005). 
Equations for conversion as required were taken from the 
compilation by FAO (1998).  Data were transformed into 
tail weights. 
A great variety of fishing methods are in use, like 
traps, hookah, and free diving.  Therefore, it is assumed 
that all fisheries were using the same method and referring 
the analysis to data of a bioeconomic assessment of a spiny 
lobster fishery of Chinchorro bank on the Caribbean coast 
of Mexico, transforming data of all the Caribbean spiny 
lobster fisheries into the same scheme of exploitation. In 
the Chinchorro Bank fishery the mean catch per fisher 
during a fishing season is 315 kg, and they sell their landed 
lobster tails to $27.8 USD per kg; there are 98 fishers 
getting an income of $4,000.00 USD per season.  
The age-structured simulation model FISMO (Chávez 
2005) was used; here the age of first capture was three and 
was maintained constant; this way the condition of the 
constrain imposed in recent years by the American 
government to the importation of lobster tails, fixed in 5 
ounces as minimum, was fulfilled. 
The exploitation rate E as F/(M+F)) was used as a 
criterion for the diagnosis of the fishery.  The optimum E 
value at FMSY, was E = 0.28 and was used as a reference 
for diagnosis of the fishery; and was applied through the 
fifteen years of data.  Other outputs are the number of 
fishers and the B/C ratio under F values used as fishing 
scenario. 
 
 
 
Page 194  60th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute  
 
RESULTS 
Socio-economic Condition of the Caribbean Fisheries  
 
Spiny lobster catch and estimations of the profits 
obtained by the main Caribbean lobster fisheries for the 
year 2004 are shown in Figure 1; in the year 2004 the 
Caribbean fisheries produced 37,632 tonnes of live weight, 
profiting $ 168.9 million USD.   
 
Figure 1.  Relative contribution of the Caribbean countries 
exploiting spiny lobster. Catch is expressed as live weight 
(tonnes), and profits in Millions of USD.  
 
Biological assessments were made previously (Chávez 
Unpubl.), such that they are the basis for the socio-
economic descriptions made here.  The model provides a 
stock response whose tendency depends on input values, as 
shown in Figure 2, where important biological, social and 
economic reference points of each fishery important for 
decision-making and useful for planning purposes are 
indicated.  In that figure, the condition of the Caribbean 
fisheries is indicated on the catch line; here, the fisheries 
show a slight condition of over exploitation, with an F 
value higher than the one producing the maximum 
sustainable yield (FMSY).  The maximum social benefit this 
is, the number of jobs, is reached at the same F value as the 
one required for the FMSY.  By contrast, the maximum 
economic level, this is, the profits or maximum economic 
yield (MEY) is found at a lower F value than that required 
for the MSY.  By observing the tendency of all these 
curves, it is evident that maximizing the economic benefit 
implies a significant reduction of the number of direct jobs, 
as compared to the current yield or the MSY levels, but a 
fishing strategy pursuing this target may produce signifi-
cantly more economic benefits, more than twice the profits 
that other options could provide and may allow the 
possibility of producing marginal investments and creating 
jobs in other activities apart from the fishery.   
 
 
 
Figure 2.  Biological and socio-economic reference points 
of the Caribbean lobster fisheries. Catch data for all the 
fisheries was used.   
 
The socio-economic condition of the Caribbean lobster 
fisheries, Figure 3 shows the profits and the Benefit/Cost 
(B/C) ratio, one is the line describing the relative economic 
efficiency of the fishery observed each one of the years 
analyzed, and a horizontal dotted line indicates the 
economic equilibrium level, showing the limit of a 
profitable activity. 
By examining the assessment, the evidence shows a 
condition of overexploitation for 13 out of the 15 years of 
data, with a harvest ranging around 13,000 tonnes of 
lobster tails.  The socio-economic condition of these 
fisheries data suggest a very convenient picture, because 
the profits have been stable with slight decrease over time, 
with profits ranging from $140 to >$160 M USD and a 
rather constant economic efficiency, usually B/C > 1.75 
(Figure 3). 
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Ba
ha
ma
s
Br
az
il
Cu
ba
Ni
ca
rag
ua
U 
S A
Do
mi
nic
an
 R
Me
xic
o
Ho
nd
ur
as Ha
iti
Be
liz
e
15
 O
th
ers
TO
N
N
ES
0
10
20
30
40
50
M
 U
SD
LIVE WEIGHT. TONNES PROFITS. MILLIONS USD
REFERENCE POINTS. DATA OF ALL COUNTRIES, 2004
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
F
0
50,000,000
100,000,000
150,000,000
200,000,000
250,000,000
C
at
ch
, F
is
he
rs
P 
ro
fit
s,
 U
SD
CATCH
PROFITS
MEY LEVEL
FISHERS
CONDITION IN 2004
MSY LEVEL
CURRENT LEVEL
ALL CARIBBEAN FISHERIES
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
1990 1994 1998 2002
E
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
C
Figure 3.  Tendencies of economic benefits (bars) and the 
Benefit/Cost ratio (dotted lines) of the spiny lobster 
Caribbean fisheries. Horizontal dotted line shows the B/C at 
the economic equilibrium level, such that values below this 
line indicate that the fishery would be not profitable.  
   Chávez, E.A.   GCFI:60   (2008) Page 195 
 
DISCUSSION 
A comprehensive assessment of the lobster fisheries of 
all the Caribbean countries, or a socio-economic analysis 
as presented in this paper has not been attempted before. 
Former research experience in the region is scarce; for 
instance, Barnutty-Navarro 2003, states that Nicaraguan 
stock is over exploited; in Belize, Carcamo (2003) 
mentioned that “the lobster fishery may be fully exploited”; 
in Brazil, Martins de Castro e Silva (2003), point out that 
there is an excess of exploitation, which is supported by the 
reported decline in landings (Gittens and Braynen 2003) 
showing significant increasing and decreasing (Martins de 
Castro e Silva et al. 2003).  By contrast, Aguilar et al. 
(2003), state that yield in Mexico is much below the MSY.  
Puga and de León (2003), report a 44% reduction respect-
ing to Cuban captures recorded in the middle eighties; 
more recently, Puga et al. (2005), recommend that the 
fishery should pursue the exploitation level at the maxi-
mum economic yield.  At the southeastern USA, the 
fishery seems to be in a healthy condition, exploiting the 
stock slightly below the MSY (SEDAR 80). 
This approach should be considered as a baseline and 
helpful for more accurate and updated evaluations.  As it is 
advised in fisheries management, and with the possible 
exception of the option addressed to maximize the number 
of jobs, decisions on the convenience of adopting the 
economic efficiency or the economic benefit per fisher, 
have to rely on the fisheries authorities, who should know 
which are the most convenient policies to adopt in each 
case over time.  The first step to be done is exploiting the 
stocks below the FMSY in ; this is, exploiting the fisheries to 
make them sustainable; then maximizing the social benefit 
below the FMSY level or at the FMEY to maximize the profits 
and the economic efficiency would be the next step.  By 
choosing the maximum social benefit at the FMSY level has 
another major inconvenience, because its value corre-
sponds to the threshold of overfishing and is very easy to 
surpass it, as occurred with many fisheries in recent times; 
for this reason it is not advised to be adopted as target for 
any fishery. 
These results provide the basis for devising a manage-
ment strategy, based on three possible targets; the first one 
is addressed towards an optimization of the social benefits, 
this is, the maximum number of fishers; the second one 
pursues the economic efficiency, based on maximizing the 
B/C ratio.  The third target of the fisheries was finding the 
maximum economic benefit expressed as profits per fisher. 
These options were evaluated by comparing their values 
respecting to the current condition of the fisheries, this is, 
the state variables found in the year 2004; the other two 
were the economic efficiency as the B/C ratio, and the 
income, or profits per fisher.  The first option corresponds 
to the current condition.  The second management option 
was finding the F values corresponding to the FMEY = 0.1. 
Finally, the third management option was the condition of 
catch, B/C, and profits per fisher at the FMSY level, this is at 
the FMSY = 0.15. Comparison of these management options 
was made such way that differences shown in graphic 
results were easy to perceive (Figures 4 A, B, C).  
Figure 4.  Options for management of the Caribbean spiny 
lobster fisheries by comparing three scenarios. Black bars 
show the current condition of the fisheries; the maximum 
social benefit at FMSY is indicated with grey bars; white bars 
indicate the maximum economic benefit. A. Optimization of 
the maximum social benefit, as number of fishers. B. 
Optimization of the maximum economic efficiency, as the 
Benefit/Cost ratio (B/C). C. Optimization of the economic 
benefit as USD per fisher.  
 
On examining Figure 4A, it is evident that the 
maximum social benefit is accomplished at the FMSY level 
in all cases, which represents a better option than the 
current one where the fisheries are over exploited.  This 
option has the inconvenience of being the threshold of 
overfishing and for this reason it is a risky option and not 
recommended. 
The option pursuing maximum economic efficiency, 
another view of the economic benefit, is related to a 
perspective of the capital owner, where maximum benefits 
can be obtained under the criterion of maximum profits at 
the FMEY level (Figure 4B).  
The Maximum economic benefit per fisher is the most 
convenient management target from the viewpoint of the 
social benefit, because combines the economic efficiency 
A. NUMBER OF FISHERS, F = 0.15
27,000
28,000
29,000
30,000
31,000
32,000
33,000
34,000
35,000
Total
CURRENT MEY MAX SOC BENEFIT
B. ECONOMIC EFICIENCY (B/C), F = 0.1
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
Total
CURRENT MEY MAX SOC BENEFIT
C. ECONOMIC BENEFIT (USD PER FISHER)
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
Total
CURRENT MEY MAX SOC BENEFIT
Page 196  60th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute  
 
with the benefits addressed directly to the fishers and the 
sustainability of the fishery is ensured.  Here, economic 
benefits at FMEY are much higher than the two other options 
and for this reason it is very appealing (Figure 4 C). 
Social and economical importance of the spiny lobster 
fisheries in the Caribbean justifies the creation of an 
institution devoted, as a main goal, to monitoring the state 
of stocks to provide advice to the fisheries industry for 
ensuring the optimum sustainable exploitation of lobster 
stocks. 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
The author received a partial support from COFAA-IPN. The use of 
unpublished data collected by Kim Ley-Cooper from the Chinchorro Bank 
fishery is kindly acknowledged. 
 
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tions, London, Series 2, 19. 533 pp. 
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Socio-economic assessment for the management of the Caribbean spiny lobster

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