along the Mexican littoral (for example the genus sea star Pisaster). Likewise, we
need to control and regulate the sea cucumbers fisheries in Mexico. For the sea
cucumber I. fuscus, the permit holders have to fish in specific areas called management unit for wild life or UMA (Unidad de Manejo Ambiental). The exploitation permits are given to organized fishermen who must submit reports on this
activity. UMA controls a harvest quota for each area. It has restricted collection to
sea cucumbers with a minimum 370 g of total weight and has established a closing
season from June to September. On the other hand, there is no official management
plan for P. parvimensis, although the permit holders must collect the sea cucumber
in specific areas and observe a minimum size limit of 200 g body wall (without
gut) (Perez-Plascencia 1995). Assessments of the sea cucumber fishery are based
on annual analyses of fishery-derived information such as catch rate and mean size
of individuals in the landed catch as well as fishery-independent surveys. These are
used to determinate biomass and set a quota of no more 10 % of the total biomass
estimation.
The main life history traits of holothurians suggest that they constitute fragile
stocks. For instance, they are big, slow growing organisms which hardly move,
and therefore easily detected by divers. Population density is less than 1 ind m
-2 ,
similar to values for many of the most important species around the world (Herrero-Perezrul et al. 1999; Uthicke et al. 2009). Consequently overfishing is likely
to occur due to their high vulnerability. Conservation efforts have been made,
especially for the fished populations. The permits are based on management
regulations. They limit the number of boats and divers in order to control fishing
effort, and assess the population before and after the fishing season. A private
company has been successful in culturing larvae to produce juvenile I. fuscus
(F.A. Solis-Marin pers. obs.).
The red sea urchin fishery was unregulated until 1987 when a suite of management reforms transformed the fishery from an open-access competitive model
to one in which individual permit holders (with one or more divers) had exclusive
access to one area. Prior to 1987, divers were able to fish everywhere, with the
result that many areas became severely overfished. In 1994, the Federal Government strengthened the holders permit rights by giving them long term concessions
(20 years) for exclusive areas access. The permits are tradable. These changes
were designed to provide investment security and promote greater commitment to
long-term sustainable use. Other management measures introduced in 1987
included the introduction of a minimum legal size of 80 mm test diameter, a
closed season between April and June (later extended to March–June), and a catch
and effort reporting scheme (Palleiro-Nayar 2004).
Assessments of the red sea urchin fishery are based on annual analyses of
fishery-derived information such as catch rate and mean size of individuals in the
catch as well as fishery-independent surveys. Video surveys of reefs also indicate
declines in densities of red sea urchins and increased in density of purple sea
urchins that have replaced red urchins in deeper water (Salgado-Rogel and
Palleiro-Nayar 2008).
46
F. A. Solís-Marín et al.
need to control and regulate the sea cucumbers fisheries in Mexico. For the sea
cucumber I. fuscus, the permit holders have to fish in specific areas called management unit for wild life or UMA (Unidad de Manejo Ambiental). The exploitation permits are given to organized fishermen who must submit reports on this
activity. UMA controls a harvest quota for each area. It has restricted collection to
sea cucumbers with a minimum 370 g of total weight and has established a closing
season from June to September. On the other hand, there is no official management
plan for P. parvimensis, although the permit holders must collect the sea cucumber
in specific areas and observe a minimum size limit of 200 g body wall (without
gut) (Perez-Plascencia 1995). Assessments of the sea cucumber fishery are based
on annual analyses of fishery-derived information such as catch rate and mean size
of individuals in the landed catch as well as fishery-independent surveys. These are
used to determinate biomass and set a quota of no more 10 % of the total biomass
estimation.
The main life history traits of holothurians suggest that they constitute fragile
stocks. For instance, they are big, slow growing organisms which hardly move,
and therefore easily detected by divers. Population density is less than 1 ind m
-2 ,
similar to values for many of the most important species around the world (Herrero-Perezrul et al. 1999; Uthicke et al. 2009). Consequently overfishing is likely
to occur due to their high vulnerability. Conservation efforts have been made,
especially for the fished populations. The permits are based on management
regulations. They limit the number of boats and divers in order to control fishing
effort, and assess the population before and after the fishing season. A private
company has been successful in culturing larvae to produce juvenile I. fuscus
(F.A. Solis-Marin pers. obs.).
The red sea urchin fishery was unregulated until 1987 when a suite of management reforms transformed the fishery from an open-access competitive model
to one in which individual permit holders (with one or more divers) had exclusive
access to one area. Prior to 1987, divers were able to fish everywhere, with the
result that many areas became severely overfished. In 1994, the Federal Government strengthened the holders permit rights by giving them long term concessions
(20 years) for exclusive areas access. The permits are tradable. These changes
were designed to provide investment security and promote greater commitment to
long-term sustainable use. Other management measures introduced in 1987
included the introduction of a minimum legal size of 80 mm test diameter, a
closed season between April and June (later extended to March–June), and a catch
and effort reporting scheme (Palleiro-Nayar 2004).
Assessments of the red sea urchin fishery are based on annual analyses of
fishery-derived information such as catch rate and mean size of individuals in the
catch as well as fishery-independent surveys. Video surveys of reefs also indicate
declines in densities of red sea urchins and increased in density of purple sea
urchins that have replaced red urchins in deeper water (Salgado-Rogel and
Palleiro-Nayar 2008).
46
F. A. Solís-Marín et al.