Central repository for biodiversity related research and monitoring data from the Dutch Caribbean
On Aruba on 2 January 2017, Dr. H. Dilrosun observed an Amazonian Giant Centipede (Scolopendra gigantea), about 18 cm in length, attack a Baker’s Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira bakeri).
Abstract:
Over the past 12 months a comprehensive assessment has been made of the fish stock of the Saba Bank. The assessment was initiated by the Environmental Department of the Government of the Netherlands Antilles in Curaçao, whereby the condition of the fishgeries resources of the Saba Bank was to be determined.
Over the past 12 months the Saba Bank fishermen engaged in two types of fishery: Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery, and snapper fishery, with two main target species: Silk Snapper (Lutjanus vivanus) and Blackfin Snapper (Lutjanus buccanella). The main fishery activity on the Saba Bank is the lobster fishery; snappers are only targeted sporadically.
The objective of the fish stock assessment programme was to collect fishery dependent data on the different target species of the Saba Bank. Alongside data on Catch Per Unit Effort of the lobster fishery, biological data, such as length frequency, length-weight relationship, sex, number of females carrying eggs, and the number of lobsters in ecdysis, were collected.
During the study it became apparent that a high percentage of lobsters landed were under-sized and a substantial percentage of berried lobsters were landed. Furthermore a considerable number of traps were lost, due to passing by traffic and hurricanes. None of these traps were fitted with a biodegradable panel and the lost traps are extremely damaging to the ecology and consequently the fish stock of the Saba Bank.
As a result of this study, the following regulations are now being strictly enforced:
Collecting fishery data alongside enforcement of the fishery regulations will enable successful management and will in the end result in sustainable exploitation of the fishery resources of the Saba Bank.
Findings
The main conclusion from this study is that no new fishing permits should be issued until a long-term fishery monitoring program is in place. The study emphasizes the need for effective enforcement of existing regulations.
Findings from the study include:
Management Recommendations:
Fishery regulations must be strictly enforced for a successful management of the Saba Bank fishery:
(As a direct result of this catch assessment survey the Coast Guard of the Netherlands Antilles has commenced to strictly enforce the fishery regulations.) The following regulations are currently being enforced:
The implementation of the fishery regulations by the Coast Guard of the Netherlands Antilles has resulted in a substantial decline in illegal fishery activities:
Restrictions should be made on landing berried lobsters and lobsters in ecdysis, and on catch and effort through size limits (lobsters).
The total fishing effort for snappers should not be increased until more data is available (average length of the main snapper species of the Saba Bank is relatively small).
Further research and accurate catch and effort and length-frequency data are required to formulate sound regulations.
A communication network should be developed which involves fishermen, Central and Island Governments, the Coast Guard and the research community.
Both the Saba island Government and the Central Government need to strictly enforce the regulations concerning the legal mesh size and the biodegradable hatch for traps to reduce the amount of ghost traps on the Saba Bank.
The lobster fishery should not be expanded; there are already concerns that the fishing effort might have reached sustainable levels of exploitation.
Continued monitoring of the fishery is needed to show clear trends on the lobster fishery exploitation level.
The Central and/or Saba Island Government should ensure that data continues to be collected and interpreted.
Fishermen should be encouraged to exploit the resources of the Bank in a sustainable manner.
Both the Central Government and the Saba island Government should conform to the inspection procedures and standards required by the EC, so that fish products can once again be legally exported to the French islands.
It is recommended that both the Central Government and the Saba island Government specify the nature of the fishing licenses per target species. The resource users should pay a fee for these licenses according to regional standards. The income generated from the fishing licenses fee can be used for management and monitoring of the fishery, whereby the resource users contribute to the management and monitoring of the stock.
Abstract:
There are about 25 fishermen on the island of St. Eustatius. Considering the small scale island economy this is a significant social economical factor that can not be overseen by the local Island Government. The money that is generated by the fishery sector, directly and indirectly, is invested back into the St. Eustatius economy, since all the fishermen are locals. In addition indirect taxes are generated from fuel, two stroke oil, fishing gear, spare parts and engines. The aggregated value of the fishery sector is also an important factor to the island economy. The spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery is without doubt the most important fishery on the island. The total lobster catch for 2003 is estimated to be approximately 4 tons, which represents a gross value of 100,000 NAf.
The St. Eustatius fishermen primarily fish on the narrow shelf surrounding the island. In 1996 the Island Council of St. Eustatius approved the Marine Park Ordinance 1996, creating a marine park and setting out regulations (diving, fishing etc.) for this marine park. Subsequently the St. Eustatius National Park Foundation (STENAPA) was requested to manage the park and active management started in 1997. STENAPA therefore has the effective control over the island shelf from the high water mark to the 30 meter (100 ft) depth contour. In addition, 2 marine park reserves were put in place to be managed by the STENAPA foundation, where fishing is restricted to hand line fishing. Furthermore the fishermen were restricted to catching a maximum of 20 queen conch (Strombus gigas) per year in the marine park area, without any base line study had taken place. The St.Eustatius fishermen find that the best fishing grounds were designated to be marine reserves, and after several quite severe incidents that took place over the years between them and STENAPA fishers have become distrustful of the local Island Government’s actions and STENAPA. In addition, it is the fishermen’s experience that catches have gone down significantly since STENAPA took over management of the park area. An other factor that has even worsened the situation is that tankers, coming and going to the St. Eustatius oil terminal, are anchoring in the marine park area (within the 30 meter depth contour), and are destroying the fishing grounds with their anchor and anchor chain, and cutting away the traps. The fishermen find that the habitat destruction by the oil tankers is much more severe than their “relatively small” violations of the marine park ordinance. Since the management of the marine park and thus the fishing grounds is a STENAPA matter, a critical success factor for sustainable management of the park area, and consequently the fishing grounds, is improving the communication and cooperation between the STENAPA foundation, the fishermen and local island Government, and finding a solution for the anchoring problem.
