Spiny Lobster Explorations in the Pacific 

 and Caribbean Waters of the Republic of Panama 



by 



Johnny A. Butler and Norman L,. Pease 



Fishery Methods and Equipment Specialists 



Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Exploratory Fishing Base 



Pascagoula, Miss. 



ABSTRACT 



An interagency agreement, signed in June 1962, between the U.S. Fish and Wild- 

 life Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, and the U.S. Agency for International 

 Development brought into being a survey of the spiny lobster potential in Panamanian 

 waters. Bureau staff members used the chartered vessel Pelican . Explorations in 

 1962 were carried out in both Caribbean and Pacific waters with wood, reed, and 

 wire traps. Wood traps proved more economical and successful. Bait for the traps 

 was obtained locally. Indications of commercial potential were gained. During 1963 

 work included simulated commercialfishing with traps and trawls. Excellent catches 

 resulted. In addition to spiny lobsters, sand lobsters and bay scallops were found in 

 sufficient quantities to start a new Panamanian industry. 



INTRODUCTION 



In 1961, the U.S. Agency for International 

 Development (US/ AID) financed a Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries study of the feasibility 

 of developing the fisheries of the Republic 

 of Panama. The study team found definite 

 possibilities for developing and expanding 

 the utilization of two resources, sharks and 

 spiny lobsters. 1 The team recommended that 

 further efforts be made to determine the 

 potential of the lobster resource for ex- 

 panded commercial fishing. As a result, 

 US/AID entered into additional negotiations 

 with the Bureau, and an interagency service 

 agreement was signed June 1962,"- calling 

 for a 1-year exploratory fishing survey of 

 the spiny lobster resource in Caribbean and 

 Pacific waters. 



The Bureau, through its Region II Explora- 

 tory Fishing and Gear Research staff, as- 

 sembled the necessary personnel from Bureau 

 programs, and a contract was awarded for 

 the charter of the vessel Pelican . Simul- 

 taneously, purchase, fabrication, modification, 

 and installation of necessary gear and equip- 

 ment was carried on. The Pelican left the 



X A Program for the more effective use of Panama's 

 'ishery resources, PIO/T525-29-060-10037, Washington, 

 June 30, 1961 (mimeographed report from the Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries to the U.S. Agency for International 

 Development). 



2 PIO/T525-R-79-RA-3-20028 signed June 21, 1962. 



United States early in August, and the first 

 exploratory cruise in Panamanian waters be- 

 gan on August 30, 1962. 



After 10 months of exploratory lobster 

 fishing, a meeting was called by US/AID to 

 discuss the progress made by the program 

 and to determine any future action. Repre- 

 sentatives of the Bureau, US/AID, the 

 Panamanian Government, and the Panamanian 

 fishing industry attended the meeting, held in 

 Panama City, Panama, on May 13, 1963. Owing 

 to the degree of local interest in the results 

 achieved thus far, a 1-year's extension of 

 the agreement was approved. 3 



US/AID had requested the Panamanian fish- 

 ing industry to provide some tangible indica- 

 tion of project support. The exact form this 

 was to take was never agreed to; and when 

 it became apparent that no agreement with 

 industry could be reached, the project ended 

 December 21, 1963. 



VESSEL, EQUIPMENT, AND GEAR 



Vessel and Vessel Equipment 



The 72-foot Pelican (fig. 1) is a typical, 

 steel-hulled Florida-rigged shrimp trawler, 

 similar in design and general layout to vessels 

 currently in use in Panamanian waters (fig. 2). 

 Bullis and Rathjen (1959) have described this 



3 PIO/T525-W-29-AH3-30015 signed June 27, 1963. 



