LobsterBlue spiny lobster, Cortez spiny lobster

Details

  • Latin name: 
    Panulirus inflatus
  • Seafood type: Lobster
  • Harvest method: Tangle net, Trap
  • Region: Baja California, Mexico
  • Wild/Farmed: 
    Wild
Status: 
Not Recommended

Blue spiny lobster

(Source: FAO)
Sustainable alternatives: 
Wild California red spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) from the Gulf of California is a good alternative.
Sustainability concerns: 
The high levels of uncertainty regarding stock status, lack of management enforcement, and high amounts of bycatch with the use of tangle nets pose serious sustainability concerns.
Blue spiny lobsters have been fished in Mexico since the 1970’s, with an increase in demand occuring in the 1980’s and 1990’s due to the tourism industry. The fishery is primarily artisanal, and landings vary according to environmental conditions. Little data has been collected on the status of the stocks, and illegal fishing likely occurs.
Life History and Population Status: 
Blue spiny lobsters are known to grow quickly and reproduce several times a year, but several important factors such as age at maturity, mortality, etc. are unknown. There is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the population status which is of great concern. Furthermore, the average size of the landed lobsters has been observed to have decreased with time, suggesting that fishing pressure has caused a lower age at maturity and higher fecundity in females to compensate for the removal of individuals from the population.
Management: 
The only management regulations are a closed system, a minimum size of caught lobster, and the prohibition of keeping egg-bearing females. However, there is little enforcement of these regulations, and there are no regulations regarding fishing methods nor catch quotas.
Impact on Other Species: 
When traps are used to catch spiny lobster, bycatch is minimal, and undersized lobsters are allowed to escape. However, the use of tangle nets are increasingly replacing traps, and this causes extremely high levels of bycatch including various species of fish and crustaceans.
Habitat and Ecosystem Impacts: 
The bait species used to trap the lobsters are not thought to be overfished, but few formal studies have examined the impacts on the habitat and ecosystem.
Resources: 
Gulf of California Seafood Watch Report

Notes:

  • No or little concern in this area.
  • Significant concern in this area.
  • Area under study.