Regional Data Gap-Analysis for Component 2 (Crustacean) for SWIOFP: Proceedings of the Regional Workshop for Component 2 of SWIOFP, 20th –22th April 2009, Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, South Africa. Item Type Report Authors Groeneveld, J.C.; Cockcroft, A.C.; Dias, N.M.; Palha de Sousa, L.; Mwakosya, C.; Ulotu, E.; Kimani, E.; Munga, C.; Rafalimanana, T. Publisher South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project Download date 27/09/2021 03:41:04 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/7368 REGIONAL DATA GAP-ANALYSIS FOR COMPONENT 2 (CRUSTACEANS) FOR SWIOFP By: JC Groeneveld and AC Cockcroft (South Africa), NM Dias and L Palha de Sousa (Mozambique), C Mwakosya and E Ulotu (Tanzania), E Kimani and C Munga (Kenya), T. Rafalimanana (Madagascar) Proceedings of the Regional Workshop for Component 2 of SWIOFP, 20th –22th April 2009, Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, South Africa 15th October 2009 1 Executive Summary During the first year of SWIOFP, all activities in Component 2 (Crustaceans) were geared towards developing a strategic review of existing data and past research, as a precursor for the development and budgeting of future crustacean projects. Activities took place at 3 levels – national data gap-analyses by 5 countries (South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and Madagascar); integration of the national analyses into a regional analysis at a workshop held at the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in Durban (South Africa); and drafting of research proposals for budgeting purposes. Each of the 5 countries produced a national data gap-analysis and needs analysis for Component 2, using a pre-designed template which requested information at species and fisheries levels, metadata of existing datasets, and a catalogue of published and unpublished literature. A prioritization process to select crustacean species and fisheries for SWIOFP projects resulted in the identification of 30 species and 22 fisheries. The 30 species were further categorized into 3 groups, based on the data to be collected, i.e.: level 1 = presence/absence and weight of catch; 2 = 1 + size composition, general biological information; and 3 = 2 + genetic samples / migrations. For deep-water crustaceans, the langoustines Metanephrops mosambicus, M. andamanicus and Nephropsis stewarti were identified at level 3, as were the prawns Haliporoides triarthrus, Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus and the spiny lobster Palinurus delagoae (barbarae?). All of these species support deep-water trawl or trap-fisheries, and are of sub-regional or regional importance. A further 12 deep-water prawn, lobster, and crab species were rated at information levels 1 and 2 - their distribution, abundance, and fisheries potential are weakly known in the region, and exploratory surveys are required to determine fisheries potential. Five species of shallow-water penaeid prawns were selected by all 5 countries, and Penaeus indicus, P. monodon and Metapenaeus monoceros were rated at information level 3. These penaeids are well-known in the region, supporting large trawl fisheries in Mozambique and Madagascar, and smaller ones in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. SWIOFP research on this group intends to focus on stock identity (i.e. are stocks shared between countries or local) and on the reduction of unwanted bycatches through testing and implementing of bycatch reduction- and turtle excluder devices (BRDs and TEDs). Two shallow-water spiny lobster species, Panulirus homarus and P. ornatus, were rated at level 3 – these 2 species will be the first to undergo genetic population studies to determine stock identity of shallow-water lobster taxa over a wide geographical scale in the WIO. Twenty-two fisheries that catch crustaceans as target or bycatch species were identified, and 14 of these were categorized as industrial (i.e. off-shore, sea-going vessels, traps or bottom trawls, modern navigation equipment) and fall within the scope of SWIOFP. Extensive databases are available for some of these fisheries in South Africa and Mozambique, with some in Madagascar, but not in Tanzania and Kenya. The metadata listed (a total of 49 distinct datasets) contained information on historical catches and 2 bycatches, species composition, fishing gear and effort, and some biological information. The majority of these datasets may not be useful to SWIOFP, however where possible relevant data will be extracted as baseline information for comparative purposes. The numbers of scientific publications and unpublished reports available for crustaceans in the SWIO region are heavily weighted in favour of South Africa, with a fair number of reports from Mozambique, but few from the other three countries. Four Objectives were identified for Component 2, each with associated projects and sub- projects. The Objectives were: 1. Consolidation and retrospective analysis of existing information (2 projects); 2. New data collection (4 projects, including surveys using wet-leased trawlers and long-line trapping vessels, and observer deployments); 3. Data analysis (3 projects to bring together and analyze data collected in objectives 1 and 2); and 4. Scientific capacity building (2 projects, comprising training workshops and MSc studentships). Projects under the first 3 objectives are sequential, i.e. consolidation of existing information in years 1 and 2, followed by new data collection in years 2 and 3, and by data analysis in years 3 and 4. Objective 4 (i.e. scientific capacity building) spans the duration of SWIOFP, and inter-links with the other SWIOFP components. In conclusion, the gap-analysis and strategic review process provided a solid grounding for the development of long-term projects, particularly where multiple countries (and agendas) were involved and a large number of variables (species, fisheries, key issues, funding restraints) had to be considered. 3 1) Introduction Fisheries for prawns (shrimps), lobsters and crabs are very common along the coastal edges of the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO), and are pursued at both artisanal and industrial levels (see www.wiofish.org; van der Elst et al. 2009). Reported landings for 9 countries in the region are approximately 35 000 mt per year (see van der Elst et al. 2009), and the largest contributors are the extensive shallow-water penaeid prawn fisheries of Mozambique and Madagascar. These fisheries rely on several co-occurring prawn species, with large bycatches of fish. Some shallow-water prawn stocks may be shared subregionally or regionally between countries. Several species of tropical spiny lobsters and crabs (e.g. mangrove- and swimming crabs) in shallow waters are targeted by artisanal and recreational fishers, and caught by simple gears operated from the shore or from small craft. Catches are landed at many points along the shore, and are often unreported - therefore official estimates under-represent actual catches of crustaceans. The deep-water crustaceans in the SWIO region (i.e. deep-water prawns, langoustines, several deep-water spiny lobster species and deep-sea crabs) are only accessible to industrialized trap and trawl fisheries. The extent and fisheries potential of deep-water stocks are not as well known as for shallower-water species. Recent surveys and genetic population studies have shown that some deep-water stocks are shared subregionally (Gopal et al. 2006). In theory, fish stocks need to be assessed and managed as a unit, even where they extend across international boundaries and are shared between countries. Management of crustacean fisheries in the SWIO region takes place on a national level, and only a few fisheries are indeed managed actively (i.e., the larger industrial fisheries for prawns and lobsters in South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar). No crustacean fishery in the SWIO is presently managed on a regional basis, even where fished stocks are presumably shared by 2 or more countries. An important objective of SWIOFP is to assess the regionality of exploited stocks, as a basis for developing appropriate management strategies. Five of nine countries that participate in SWIOFP (i.e. South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and Madagascar) have significant crustacean fisheries and datasets, and these countries participate in Component 2. The other four countries are small island states (Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles and Reunion-France) with minor crustacean fisheries in the region, and these countries are not actively involved in Component 2. A large quantity of historical fisheries information exists for the SWIO region. These data comprise information collected by governmental fisheries monitoring and statistics agencies, past fisheries surveys and research projects, observer- and port-based sampling data, and published studies. As a first step, each SWIOFP component was tasked with undertaking a review and gap analysis of existing information. This step was supported by the Data and IT Component of SWIOFP (i.e. Component 1). 4 The aims of the gap analyses were to: identify priority crustacean fisheries and species relevant to SWIOFP; specify the additional information and research required to support fisheries management, and; assess country needs in terms of the scientific capacity required to perform SWIOFP activities over a long term. For the Crustacean component, a series of 5 national gap-analyses were performed by experts in each country, under the leadership of National Country Coordinators (NCC2’s). The process was led by South Africa, as the elected Regional Component Coordinator