QUEEN CONCHWORKING GROUP

2nd meetingPanama City, 18-20 November 2014

The French West Indies reportby Myriam BOUAZIZ & Guillaume PERRIN

Annual catchesMartinique

No recent estimation / Total fleet : 16 to 27 vessels Increase of nets use and mostly freediving (1 to 9 vessels)Sampling on 210 animals : 215mm long / 14mm thick / 500g heavyUses of shells as lime, opercula by local crafts and pearls emerging

market (from 200 to 3000€ per unit sold directly by fishers)Guadeloupe

In 2013, 20 tons (>75% by QC nets)Decrease of catches, especially from freediving Increase of the fleet : > +50% for every gear (56 to 127 vessels)Trammel nets substituting bottom gillnets2010 2011 2012 2013

0102030405060708090

100

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

20

3834

20

QC landings per gear

QC nets QC freedivingLobsters trammel Landings (t)

%

tonnage

Conversion factorsMartinique

Field survey in October 2014 on 210 individuals45% females vs. 65% malesFrom the nominal weight, loss of 82% dirty / 88% half clean / 93% fillet

Processing grade DescriptionNominal (live)

weight Complete animal, including the shell Conversion factor applied to nominal weight

Without processing (dirty) Animal without the shell 5.6

50 percent clean Removal of the operculum (claw) and the visceral bag 8.6

100 percent clean (fillet) Only the white meat remains 15.0

Local grade : 8.4 conversion factor

Data Collection SystemEvaluation/Estimation of: Number of fishing trips Average catch per fishing

tripMartinique phone surveys with

captains (stratified random sampling)

phone surveys supplemented by observations and biological sampling of the main landing points

Guadeloupe complete knowledge of individual consumption of fuel and the calendar of activity of each vessel

a simple random sample of the main ports, made from Monday to Friday

Fishery Information System (HIS), designed by IFREMER, collects data in the French West Indies.

Policy & LegislationMartinique

Catch of juveniles forbiddenRecreational fishers allowed to catch 3 individuals per dayNew regulation ongoing

GuadeloupeOnly professional fishing (no juveniles)Closing season depth dependant

Jan 1 – Sept 30 : 0 - 25m Feb 1 – Sept 30 : 0 - >25m

Saint BartholomewNew legislation in 2015Closing season : April 1 – Sept 30Bottom gillnets forbidden Feb 1 – Aug 31

Fisheries management & Conservation activitiesMartinique & Guadeloupe

New regulation ongoing (Martinique) : trammel nets forbidden & implementation of a close season from Feb 1 to Aug 31

Marine fisheries controls against poachingEnforcement of fishery regulations by annual fishery inspection

plans to coordinate efforts of different official services involvedSaint Bartholomew

Catches declaration by professional fishers

Consumption & TradeMartinique

Import from Jamaïca : 308,5 tons (80% frozen QC)No exportAverage selling price : 21,38€/kg (26,8 $US/kg)Illegal QC from abroad : 1,36 tons seized for a 22,000€ fine

GuadeloupeImport from JamaïcaOver the last years, from 70 to 190 tonsNo exportAverage selling price : 20€/kg (25 $US/kg)One ton of illegal QC seized each year

Research & Stock assessmentMartinique

Thesis ongoing on sea turtles by catch by QC netsGuadeloupe

By the Regional Committee of FisheriesRessource assessment by video transects

Positive effect of the closure season No significant effect of MPAs on QC densities

Saint BartholomewBy the Environmental Territorial Agency (Natural Reserve)Transects method for abundance and distribution

Identify breeding areas and seasons Quantify landings and maturity stages of catches

Thank you for your attention !