'%Healthy Reefs for Healthy People - A Guide to Indicators of Reef Health and Social Well-being in the Mesoamerican Reef Region%'%by Melanie McField and Patricia Kramer% of 38

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A major limitation of this indicator is the lack of data

· Belize produced 241 mt of conch meat in 200333.

on unreported production that is consumed locally

Based on historical data, a maximum sustainable

in some of the MAR countries. Export estimates do

yield of 324 mt has been determined, while a

not reflect total catch but are sometimes used for

harvest quota of 280 mt has been set34.

estimating total production (assuming some percent

· Honduras exported 1,330 mt of conch meat to the

is consumed locally and not recorded). In this regard,

US in 2001, almost double its 1998 exports of 750

production volume is most accurate if data on

mt2.

fisheries products sold in local markets (both formal

and informal) are also collected annually.

· Lobster production declined 11% in Mexico

(Caribbean) between 1990 and 200130. Quintana

Additional information on catch per unit effort (CPUE)

Roo contributed 248 mt to overall production32.

would greatly enhance the value of this indicator,

although collecting these data over the entire region

· Belize lobster production has remained fairly stable

would be difficult. Mexico routinely monitors CPUE in

at about 171 to 272 mt per year over the last five

a number of fisheries, but the other Mesoamerican

years33.

countries appear to undertake less systematic

collection of CPUE data.

· Honduras experienced a significant decline of a little

more than 50% from 3000 mt of lobster in 1991 to

Status

1300 mt in 199835.

The FAO data indicate annual variation in the

Data Needs

production of spiny lobster and strombid conch in the

1995 to 2004 period, but do not show a clear overall

Actual harvest production volumes (including exports

trend during that 10-year period (see figures below)30.

and local markets) need to be collected per species

The data for Honduras and Mexico include areas that

for different fishing zones, MPAs, or other well-defined

are outside the MAR ecoregional boundary (Figure

subregions within the MAR. Spatially comparable

1.a. Section 1) but are all within the Caribbean and

CPUE data are also needed for target species (e.g.,

Gulf of Mexico.

lobster, conch), possibly with quotas developed for

key species based on modeled maximum sustainable

Additional species data from national reports follows:

yield per species. Regional standardization of fisheries

data collection protocols and reporting procedures

· Mexico exported 1.4 metric tonnes (mt) of conch in

(including both exports and total production) would

200231. Quintana Roo exported 30 mt of conch32

result in an improved understanding of the regional

in 2005, responding to the increased quota after

trends in fisheries production.

some populations recovered from a no-fishing

moratorium (see D10 Conch Abundance).

Stromboid Conch† Production by Country (for the

Caribbean Spiny Lobster Production by Country (for

the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico)

Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico)

(Live weight in Tonnes)

1800

10000

1600

9000

8000

1400

7000

1200

6000

1000

5000

800

4000

600

3000

400

2000

200

1000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Mexico

Belize

Honduras

Mexico

Belize

Honduras

Data Source30

† All species

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