Jk. Okechi et Jj. Polovina, AN EVALUATION OF ARTIFICIAL SHELTERS IN THE ARTISANAL SPINY LOBSTER FISHERY IN GAZI BAY, KENYA, South African journal of marine sciences, 16, 1995, pp. 373-376
Two designs of artificial shelters were evaluated for use in the artis
anal spiny-lobster fishery in Gazi Bay, Kenya. Both types of shelter w
ere effective in aggregating the spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus in ne
arshore seagrass beds. Lobsters aggregated at the shelters were caught
by free-diving fishermen, using spearguns and hand nets. Mean lobster
catches taken from the shelters ranged from 0,38 to 0,83 kg . trip(-1
), around 50% of those taken farther offshore in natural reefs. No sig
nificant difference was found in the size or sex composition between s
helter and reef-caught lobsters.