Tristan : Tristan: The Lobster Fishery and will there be impacts in the future.
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 30.03.2011 (Article Archived on 25.05.2011)

It is evident that the wreck of the Oliva has had a devastating effect on the wildlife, with the focus quite rightly being on the Rockhopper penguins, because they are of the most immediate concern, as can be seen by the numbers oiled.

The Lobster Fishery and will there be impacts in the future.

It is evident that the wreck of the Oliva has had a devastating effect on the wildlife, with the focus quite rightly being on the Rockhopper penguins, because they are of the most immediate concern, as can be seen by the numbers oiled.  However, what is not so plain to see is the effect it will have on the lobster fishery, which is the mainstay of the island’s economy.

We have taken professional advice and a sampling programme has been put in place with the aim to gain a picture of the spatial extent and the level of any contamination in the target stock, with a view to managing the fishery so that (a) no contaminated stock gets into the supply chain and (b) the closure area is no larger in area or longer in duration than is necessary, so as to minimize interruption to normal fishing.    Samples will be taken from Nightingale, Inaccessible and Tristan (to act as a benchmark) in areas that are representative of normal fishing grounds, with a wide enough spread that might show spatial or depth variation of any contamination. 

Our priority is to establish very quickly what effects the spill has had on the juvenile lobsters in the shallow kelp beds. Lobsters take 6-7 years for market size, how long it will take the area to return to normal, and whether they will be a recruitment effect in future years, no one knows. We hope the owners/insurers will agree to fund a thorough study that will identify any impacts and monitor recovery where Tristan deems appropriate, for at least a minimum of five years, as the lobsters take at least six to seven years to become market size.  This is something the Fisheries Department will have to monitor.

When the oil was leaked from the Oilva, the fishery was closed at Nightingale and Inaccessible islands as a precaution pending expert advice.  We have been advised that this was the right thing to do.  The closure of the fishery has already had an impact of the economy of the Island as there is an outstanding TAC (Total Allowable Catch) of 63mt still to be caught at these islands. We will be in discussion with the insurers, the concession holders and advisers about this and doing all we can to seek compensation for this loss.    

Also with the wreck on the western side of Nightingale from North to almost the South Western corner, it will definitely have an impact on fishing. The western side of the island is the best fishing ground, for the ship and its small power boats, and not only will they have to work further to the outside, but they will also have to be extra cautious when the wreck breaks up.  Obviously there will be a tangle or loss of fishing gear.

When the semi-submersible oil platform PXXI, was stranded at Tristan in 2006, the rig legs were coated with large quantities of dead coral, barnacles, oyster shells, hard corals, large mussels, large dark red anemones, and many many more species all of which were non-native to Tristan.  The Brazilian porgy fish, which also came with the rig, is now completely around Tristan, no funding was received from the owners of the rig for onward monitoring of the alien species, and no sampling programme was put in place. In fact the Island received nothing.  We will not make that mistake again.

James Glass

Director of Fisheries