| Two different groups of lobsters are of commercial importance in the Seychelles: spiny lobsters and slipper lobsters. The spiny lobsters are: Panulirus penicillatus, Panulirus longipes, Panulirus versicolor and Panulirus ornatus. Fishing for spiny lobster in Seychelles is a traditional activity in the shallow waters surrounding the main granitic Islands. Fishing is conducted at night by skin divers operating with lights. Following the development of the tourist industry during the seventies the local demand for lobsters increased to several tonnes a year. After being open for many years, the fishery was closed from 1983 to 1989. The fishery was reopen from December 1989 to May 1990, during which time an estimated 10 tonnes of spiny lobsters were supplied... |
