Slipper lobster (Crustacea, Decapoda, Scyllaridae) fisheries off the southeastern coast of Brazil: I. Exploitation patterns between 23°00′ and 29°65′S

In southeastern Brazil, slipper lobsters (Scyllarides deceptor and S. brasiliensis) are caught by fleets trawling for pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis) and pots-and-traps fishing for octopuses (Octopus vulgaris). Eight hundred fifty-six landings of shrimp trawlers and 28 of the octopus fleet were monitored in the Santos region from May 2006 to April 2007. Additional analysis was performed using a database covering the period from 1999 onwards. This study seeks to identify the recent patterns of exploitation of these lobsters with the goal of improving the way towards fishery sustainability. Scyllarides deceptor was the dominant lobster species with 1032 specimens collected, while only three specimens of S. brasiliensis were identified. The area known as the ‘Farol do Boi’ (23°01′S, 45°00′W to 25°00′S, 45°40′W at 60–135 m deep) showed the highest Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE). A General Linearized Model (GLM) was used to investigate the factors influencing variations in CPUE in trawl fleets and led to the conclusion that year, month and depth were the most important factors. We detected a significant decrease in the relative abundance of lobsters in the fishing zone despite relatively low fishing effort. Recommendations to protect the lobster resources include taking special precautions in the natural refuge area of the ‘Farol do Boi’, as an exclusion zone for trawl fleets, and controlling the use of traps longlines to catch octopuses. Concerns about depensatory processes due to the over-exploitation of lobster populations around the world are raised.