Honduras Caribbean spiny lobster - trap

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Overview

The Caribbean spiny lobster fishery provides a livelihood for hundreds of fishers and packing plant processors in Honduras. This industrial Honduran fishery faces critical issues including a lack of robust data to inform stock status and management decisions, limited information on impacts of lobster traps on marine habitats and ecosystems, an ineffective legal management framework, and limited resources to enforce fishing regulations. But with the active involvement of FIP stakeholders, such as General Directorate for Fishing and Aquaculture (DIGPESCA), and FIP Participants, the challenges facing this fishery are being addressed against the MSC standard.

FIP Description 

The Caribbean spiny lobster fishery provides a livelihood for hundreds of fishers and packing plant processors in Honduras.

FIP Objective(s) 

The goal of the Honduras lobster FIP is to move the fishery in a step-wise approach towards meeting the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard by July 2028, and move into the full assessment process to achieve MSC certification after that. Critical issues challenging this fishery include a lack of robust data to inform stock status and management decisions, limited information on impacts of lobster traps on marine habitats and ecosystems, an ineffective legal management framework, and limited resources to enforce fishing regulations. To address these issues, the FIP plans to achieve the following objectives by July 2028:

Principle 1:
- Improve collection of catch data from the trap and dive fisheries to inform the lobster stock assessments
- Develop a robust stock assessment model against established target and limit reference points that will be applied regularly at the regional level across Honduras-Nicaragua (shared stock)
- Develop a fishery management plan and harvest strategy, and establishing harvest control rules and tools

Principle 2:
- Improve collection of bycatch data, analyzing the impact of the fishery on bycatch species, and implement management measures to minimize mortality of bycatch species as needed
- Determine the impact of the Honduras lobster trap fishery on the habitat and ecosystem, and if necessary, implement management measures to minimize the impact

Principle 3:
- Develop inclusive consultation procedures to ensure broad stakeholder participation in management of the fishery
- Estimate the level of IUU fishing that is occuring and strengthen enforcement to combat IUU fishing
- Monitor and evaluate the performance of the fishery management system

 

FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 5: Improvements on the Water
Start and Projected End Dates
July 2012
July 2028
Update 
During the 3-year audit which was completed in August 2024, the FIP workplan was updated to reflect the latest advances and revise timelines. A new end date for the FIP was established for July 2028. Activities have not progressed as expected over the past few years due to several changes that have taken place in DIGEPESCA´s authorities and technical personnel, which has caused many of the environmental FIP activities to be delayed due to lack of government support. Over the past several months DIGEPESCA has been more engaged, and activities have begun to pick up, with support from our local FIP consultant who is helping to advance key activities and engage DIGEPESCA in the work as needed. Over the past year, we have focused efforts on complying with the social policy requirements and have advanced several pieces including finalizing the vessel list, making fishers aware of their rights, establishing a grievance mechanism, conducting a social risk assessment, and developing a social workplan.
Next Progress Report Due 
Monday, June 30, 2025
Next Independent Evaluation 
Thursday, September 30, 2027
Species 
Common Name 
Spiny Lobster (Caribbean)
Scientific Name
Panulirus argus
Buying Guide Link Image 
Spiny Lobster (Caribbean)
Buying Guide
Gear Type 
Pot/Trap
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 31 (Atlantic, Western Central)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Honduras
Geographic Scope 
the entire country
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
1,110 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
1,110 metric tons
Landings Date 
July 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
July 01, 2012
46% 39% 14%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF
D Some Past Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.
  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Jun 2025
Target End Date
Jul 2028

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
WWF-US
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Wendy Goyert
Email 
wendy.goyert@wwfus.org
Website Name 
WWF Seafood Sustainability
Organization Name 
WWF Guatemala/Mesoamerica
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Gabriela Pineda
Email 
gpineda@wwfca.org
Website Name 
WWF Seafood Sustainability
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
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