55 



ISSUES 



Habitat 



Estuarine habitat conditions affect all 

 shrimp fisheries. Specifically, marsh losses 

 remove critical habitat for young shrimp 

 and thereby depress shrimp production. 

 Studies are needed on losses of shrimp 

 nursery habitats, environmental changes, 

 predator abundance, and pollution. Florida 

 spiny lobsters depend on good reef habitat 

 and shallow-water algal flats for feeding 

 and reproduction, but this need may con- 

 flict with development. Habitat is very im- 



portant to stone crab survival, particularly 

 management of water quality and water 

 flow through the Everglades. Specific 

 water requirements need to be identified 

 and maintained. Also needed is a unified 

 program to integrate and study the effects 

 of environmental alterations, fishing tech- 

 nology, regulations, and economic factors 

 on shrimp, lobster, and crab production 

 and restoration. Steps need to be taken to 

 mitigate or restore lost habitat. 



Stock Origin 



Spiny lobster parent stock could be of 

 pan-Caribbean origin, or it could be com- 

 posed of a number of different spawning 

 stocks. The sources of all Florida and Car- 



ibbean lobster stock production (both U.S. 

 and foreign landings) need to be identified 

 and international management established 

 to prevent overutilization. 



Growth Overfishing 



Many small spiny lobsters are caught in the 

 Puerto Rican fishery. If these lobsters were 

 allowed to grow to a larger size before 

 harvest, there would be a substantial in- 

 crease in yield. Modification of the traps to 

 allow more of the small lobsters to escape 

 and implementation of a minimum size 

 rule need to be investigated. 



Many small shrimps are caught in the 

 Puerto Rican fishery. Models have shown 



that there would be a substantial increase 

 in value to the fishery if these shrimps were 

 allowed to grow to a larger size before 

 harvesting and if the current price structure 

 did not change to reflect the change in 

 landings by size category. Modifications in 

 shrimp management to reduce the capture 

 of small shrimp, without causing a shift in 

 price per pound, in certain size categories 

 need to be investigated. 



Gear Conflict 



A continuing gear conflict between stone 

 crab trappers and shrimp trawlers off 

 southwestern Florida has been mostly re- 

 solved in the EEZ with a line separating the 



fisheries areas and seasonal closure areas. 

 This approach needs continued monitor- 

 ing to gauge its success and prevent re- 

 newal of the conflict. 



