Tristan : The Lobster Fishery at Tristan and Tristan's quota of 158mt
Submitted by Tristan Times (Juanita Brock) 10.01.2005 (Article Archived on 24.01.2005)
Despite having evidence of landings of lobster (Jasus tristani) only found at Tristan and the Vema Seamount, plus lots of Octopus, the UK Government seems slow to act on our concerns.
Photos (c) James Glass (Tristan Times)
The Lobster Fishery at Tristan and Tristan's quota of 158mt
Head of the Department of Natural Resources taking carapace measurements onboard M/V Kelso. Five thousand carapace measurements are taken at each island to run the computer models, which help to determine the quotas set for each island.
By James Glass (Tristan Times)
Specimens selected for quality check.
Joyce Hagan packing Lobster at the Tristan Factory
Despite having evidence of landings of lobster (Jasus tristani) only found at Tristan and the Vema Seamount, plus lots of Octopus, the UK Government seems slow to act on our concerns. The Fishery Patrol Boat "Wavedancer" has been out of action for almost a year, the boat requires a new engine. She was given as part of a Fishery Project in 1996 and is in need of a refit which the TDC Government cannot afford, jets propel has never worked for us due to the kelp getting block in the intakes, giving us no power to race out of the harbour in bad weather. Talks are underway to have her modify and I know it will come as the Lobster Fishery is the lifeline of the Tristan economy, but to date I'm not sure when this is going to happen.
However, the lobster fishery at Tristan continues to flourish under the New Concession holders (EUREX - Ovenstones) since 1997. Prior to this under the management of the pervious concession holders (Tristan Investments) with advice from fishery experts in South Africa the Catch Per Unit Effort continued to fall. The first year the new company took over it took 72 days hard fishing to catch only 89 metric tonnes, today a quota of 133 metric tonnes can be caught in 18 days if the islanders wished too, using half as much fishing effort and fewer hours fished.
Today fishing is limited from 6am to 4:30pm, using only 9 large powerboats (instead of 18), with 10 lobster pots and 20 ring nets. The intention is to produce quality not quantity, with a target of 5 metric tonnes per day, a target easily reach. To date the highest catch stands at 2,500lbs for one boat for the day (yes hard to believe, but it is two thousand five hundred pounds for one boat, catches only achieved, more than 20 years ago) and it's all down to common sense, management and working with the fishermen. I see on the TV BFBS news the intended fish cuts around the UK and think how lucky we are, and will continue to be as long as the Tristanians have some say on how the fishery should be managed, running computer models is only half of what's needed to understand a fishery.
The Lobster season now starts in August and to date the quotas at Gough, Nightingale and Inaccessible islands have been caught, and just over half the quota at Tristan. The quota at Tristan could be caught quickly but the factory cannot manage the landings, therefore the landings are limited to approximately 5-6 tonnes.
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