We are pleased to announce that Honduras has established the National Working Group for the Reduction of Ghost Fishing in the Caribbean Spiny Lobster fishery.
PROCARIBE+, in cooperation with SICA-OSPESCA, supports efforts to reduce ghost fishing and the environmental impacts of industrial fishing for Caribbean spiny lobster.
With the establishment of this new Working Group, SAG-DIGEPESCA reaffirms its commitment to leading fisheries research and management in Honduras and takes a step forward in reducing ghost fishing in the Caribbean.
At this first meeting of the Working Group, leaders from SICA-OSPESCA, Ser Océano, WWF, SERNA, APESCA, the Merchant Marine, and DIGEPESCA were convened to coordinate activities aimed at reducing ghost fishing.
What is “ghost fishing”?
It is when fishing gear lost or abandoned in the ocean continues to catch species indefinitely. This silent phenomenon damages our ecosystems and compromises the sustainability of fisheries.
Like many other fisheries around the world, Caribbean spiny lobster fishing, and in particular trap fishing, is affected by ghost fishing. In the region, the true impact of ghost fishing by spiny lobster traps on marine habitats is unknown, as very little research has been done on the subject.
The PROCARIBE+ project, in collaboration with experts and stakeholders, seeks to develop and test integrated solutions to reduce the negative impacts of industrial spiny lobster fishing in the region. The project focuses on Honduras to test these solutions.
The project also aims to train and disseminate the methodologies developed in Honduras. This will enable the adoption of best fishing practices, which, in turn, will improve the sustainability of the lobster fishery and its socioeconomic benefits for the entire wider Caribbean region.
Visit Dirección General de Pesca y Acuicultura and SICA OSPESCA official Facebook pages for more information.
Read more about the solutions from PROCARIBE+ to reduce impacts from unsustainable fishing gear and practices in spiny lobster fisheries here.
Photo credits: Dirección Regional SICA/OSPESCA
