What is the Right Balance Between International Management and the Involvement of Fishing Communities in the Management of Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries?

Lester Gittens, PhD

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
Department of Marine Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs,
Government of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas

ABSTRACT

The Caribbean spiny lobster has an extensive occurrence as it is found in numerous territories from Bermuda to the northern edge of South America. Fisheries based on this species are of equally widespread importance to the Caribbean region. Similarly, the threats to sustainable fishing are just as borderless. Such transboundary threats, the likes of which impact many species, include climate change, illegal fishing, limited management resources and paucity of statistical data. The often-global scale of such challenges necessitate international coordination and cooperation. Indeed this need has manifested itself through various binding and non-binding international agreements seeking to address an array of issues. However, amid the clear need for international management efforts, it should neither be forgotten nor disregarded that direct resource users, in individual communities, must have a say in the management of fisheries resources they depend on. This view is consistent with sustainable development goals. But how is the need for international management, sometimes involving people far removed from the day-to-day needs of communities in distant countries, balanced against the obligation to include communities in management processes? These contrasting ideals are not easy to achieve and can be compounded and confounded by a lack of a clear voice coming from communities. It will take international, national and community level efforts to overcome these challenges.

HOW TO CITE: Gittens, L., 2026. What is the Right Balance Between International Management and the Involvement of Fishing Communities in the Management of Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries? Contribution 6.6, p439-442 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20^th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=936

 POWERPOINT

VIDEO PRESENTATION 

FULL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

Download CRFM Special Publication No. 37:

Proceedings of the CRFM 20^th Anniversary Scientific Conference

Volume I: Technical Papers

Volume II: National Reports 

 KEY LINKS

Scientific Conference Home Page

Scientific Conference Proceedings Page

Explore all 20^th Anniversary Scientific Papers

 NOTE

If you have challenges accessing or downloading documents in this series, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call us at +501-223-4443. Some browsers do not properly load Google Drive documents, so if you have challenges accessing the PowerPoint slides or the full special publication, try switching to another browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Update on the Status and Management of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries in the CARICOM Region

Maren Headley, Milton Haughton, and June Masters

Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat
Princess Margaret Drive, Belize City, Belize
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

ABSTRACT

The Caribbean spiny lobster fishery is one of the most commercially important fisheries in the region. In 2011, a baseline review on the status and management of the spiny lobster fishery was completed for the CARICOM region. The baseline review identified a number of critical steps that need to be taken towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of Caribbean spiny lobster fisheries. These steps included: i.) Improved data collection and regional standardization of data types; ii) Harmonized regulations at the sub-regional level; iii.) Review and reform governance systems at local, national and sub-regional levels; iv.) Assess and control the illegal lobster fishery. This paper seeks to determine the extent to which the critical steps identified in the baseline review have been achieved and identify current gaps and opportunities for improving management of the spiny lobster resource. The paper also provides an update on the resource status, management objectives, and current regulations for the lobster resource in 17 CRFM Member States. Current landing trends, exports volumes and monetary values are also provided by CRFM Member countries.

HOW TO CITE: Headley, M., M. Haughton and J. Masters, 2026. Update on the Status and Management of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries in the CARICOM Region. Contribution 6.5, p428-438 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20^th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=935

 POWERPOINT

VIDEO PRESENTATION 

FULL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

Download CRFM Special Publication No. 37:

Proceedings of the CRFM 20^th Anniversary Scientific Conference

Volume I: Technical Papers

Volume II: National Reports 

 KEY LINKS

Scientific Conference Home Page

Scientific Conference Proceedings Page

Explore all 20^th Anniversary Scientific Papers

 NOTE

If you have challenges accessing or downloading documents in this series, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call us at +501-223-4443. Some browsers do not properly load Google Drive documents, so if you have challenges accessing the PowerPoint slides or the full special publication, try switching to another browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Title: Preparation of A Practical Guide for the Implementation of St. George`s Declaration on Conservation, Management and Sustainable Use of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus)

Summary: The CRFM Secretariat is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified resource persons to undertake a short term assignment to prepare A Practical Guide for the Implementation of St. George`s Declaration on Conservation, Management and Sustainable Use of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus). The project will be conducted between 15 January and 5 March, 2016

READ MORE

ST. GEORGE’S DECLARATION ON CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF THE CARIBBEAN SPINY LOBSTER (PANULIRUS ARGUS)

15 May 2015

ROSEAU, Dominica, April 23 (CRFM) – The future of the conch and lobster sector is being examined as the 12th meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum,the main technical and scientific decision-making bodyof the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), opened here Wednesday at the Fort Young Hotel.

Acting Permanent Secretary in Dominica’s Ministry of the Environment, Natural, Physical Planning and Fisheries, Harold Guiste, made special mention of the issue while presenting the feature address on behalf of the host nation.

Mr. Guiste said that amid systems put in place region-wide to monitor the harvesting of the delicacies, “it appears some countries are bent on wanting to exercise control over all the resources in the world.”

He further noted: “Globally we have noticed a rush to fish accompanied by a lack of responsible behaviour in the fishing sector. This type of hooligan behaviour has resulted in severe decline in some major fisheries of the world and collapse in some others.”

The senior ministry official called on the CRFM to work closely with its stakeholders and partners to safeguard against the depletion of the region’s already challenged resources.

The spiny lobster industry brings in about US$456 million per year to CARICOM producers but high demand has led to an unhealthy state of the stock.

The CRFM is also concerned that since 2012 an environmental NGO in the US has called for the queen conch, a delicacy and the largest mollusc fished commercially across the Caribbean to be listed as an endangered species in accordance with the US Endangered Species Act.

The protection of queen conch is already governed by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), whose guidelines CARICOM signatory nations follow scrupulously.

The matter has been taken to the Council for Trade and Economic Development COTED and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in CRFM member countries.

In light of annual, substantial losses caused by Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishingthe Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy is also getting special attention at the meeting.

CRFM Executive Director Milton Haughton said while regional governments have agreed to the policy, mandated by CARICOM close to a decade ago, it was not signed at the 25th Inter-Sessional meeting of CARICOM Heads recently held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The common fisheries policy would act as a treaty to guide sustainable contributions for regional development and food security, develop the scientific basis for decision-making, strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary systems and market research which could lead to improved access to overseas markets, through cooperation to increase the fish processing which offers value added products and create jobs.

“We have to strengthen our systems to ensure better conservation and resource management, especially of the resources that are our main commercial resources including lobster and queen conch etc. Long term sustainability is one of the key challenges facing the fisheries sector in the region s well as globally,” Haughton said.

Fourteen of the 17 member countries of the CRFM are present at this year’s meeting;absent are Barbados, Haiti and Suriname. Two observers, The Netherlands and Curacao, have expressed an interest in joining the Belize-based CRFM.

ABOUT THE CRFM

Based in Belize, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) was established in 2003. It is the core of a complex interactive network of a wide variety of stakeholders in fisheries. Three bodies together make up the Mechanism. These are: a ministerial body, a Fisheries Forum (the main technical and scientific decision-making body) and a Fisheries Technical Unit or Secretariat.

CRFM promotes the sustainable use of fisheries and aquaculture resources in and among Member States, by developing, managing and conserving these resources in collaboration with stakeholders to benefit the people of the Caribbean region.

Its membership includes all CARICOM countries, as full members. Other countries and territories in the Caribbean may join the Mechanism as Associate Members.