Spiny lobster fishery in Eastern Samar, Philippines

Thirteen stations throughout eastern Samar, Philippines where specific groups of lobster fishermen operate, were monitored to derive baseline information about the lobster resources in the area including an overview of the marketing aspects involved. Six types of fishing gear were used for capturing lobster: gill nets, fish traps, fish corals, hook and line, local guns and lobster traps. Catchers from the first four are mainly incidental while a deliberate spear and trap fishery exists. The peak lobster season generally occurs from May to August, coinciding with the calmest periods on the Pacific coast. Six species and subspecies were recorded from the area: Panulirus penicillatus, P. ornatus, P. longipes longipes, P. longipes femoristriga, P. versicolor and P. homarus homarus. Of these, P. penicillatus which abounds in the surf areas on the Pacific coast, comprises the bulk of the landed catch. A general decline in catch per unit effort expressed as total catch (lobster tails in kg)/fisherman/fishing trip was noted during the peak lobster seasons in 1982 to 1984.