Protection and Management of Spiny Lobster and Queen Conch in the Bay Island of Honduras
The project is a collaboration between Coral Reef Alliance and Roatan Marine Park to establish a baseline as a the foundation for measuring the effectiveness of restoring and managing spiny lobster and queen conch populations in Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras. This support is in line with their shared interest to support building resilience of coral reefs and sustainable management of fisheries in the Western Caribbean including Honduras, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Despite the functional ecological and economic importance of these species, information is lacking on their status in Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras. Overfishing, illegal fishing, and devastating impacts to the resilience of coral reef ecosystems are symptoms of inadequate evidence-based policies and regulations, which are the primary causes of this situation. As a consequence, the need to assess the current status of these species is urgent, as it will lay the foundation for confronting reef and seagrass meadow declines in the Roatan and other parts of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. The baseline data and information will also be mainstreamed into developing more coherent policies and robust management interventions resulting in measurable, transformative outcomes that include building and sustaining resilient populations of these species, while improving social and economic equity for coastal fishing communities.
Read more: The Vital Role of Lobsters and Conchs in Reef Ecosystems