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The Return of the Octopus

UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme

By IW:LEARN

October 31^st, 2018

How a temporary fishery closure increased octopus population and improved the livelihoods of fishers in the island of Rodrigues and mainland Mauritius.

Along the beautiful coastlines of the Republic of Mauritius, the art of octopus fishery has been an integral part of the livelihoods and way of living of the fishing communities. The most abundant and common species is the Octopus cyanea – a native of Mauritius.

On the island of Rodrigues, local octopus fishers noticed - over time - a significant reduction in their catch. Unsustainable fishing practices such as catch of small individuals and juvenile females, open and unregulated access to the octopus fishery, and the effects of climate change on the coral reefs that provide a home to the octopus, were driving the Octopus cynea to extinction and jeopardizing the livelihoods of the local artisanal fishers.

The Community Takes Action

With technical and financial support from the GEF Small Grants Programme, the Rodrigues Regional Assembly and the local NGO Shoals Rodrigues Association, decided to take action to address the problem. Their solution? A voluntary closure of the octopus fishery in the waters of Rodrigues for 2 months a year. This innovative idea also received support from the FAO Smartfish Programme, implemented through the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).

“I have been fishing octopus for the last 30 years. I have seen the decline in octopus. Through this project, during the closed season I carry out alternative environmental work around the island of Rodrigues, including searching for and reporting illegal poaching activities. When the fisheries re-open, my catch is better due to the health of the octopus population, and so is my income.” - Fisherwoman at Port Sud Est

Despite a few initial challenges, the closure was a great success, with immediate and visible results for the local fishers, who demonstrated ownership of the project by carrying out primary monitoring tasks and actively reporting on cases of illegal fishing to NGO representatives.

Following the re-opening of the first octopus fishery closure in 2012, an octopus catch of 294 tons of octopus was landed during the first 48 days of the season. This was equivalent to the annual average of 288 per year, and the increase has persisted for the last 6 years, approaching 700 tons in 2017. The Rodrigues’ population of Octopus cynea was on the rise, securing the livelihoods of local fishers and their communities.

Enjoy and Share the Fruits of your Labour

In mainland Mauritius, other communities noticed the success of the Rodrigues fishers. As a result, in 2015 a first voluntary closure was carried out in Le Morne to Souillac, the south-east region under the leadership of the NGO Mauritius Marine Conservation Society and support from FAO Smartfish Programme. This, too, was a success and facilitated the integration of local solutions for sustainable fishery into the national legislation in Mauritius.

In 2016, the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands took their cues from island of Rodrigues and the communities and imposed a nation-wide, winter closure of the octopus fishery. Since then, the national closure was passed into Mauritian Law through the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act.

“At the National level, we are proud to have followed the example of Rodrigues island, and pass a regulation authorizing the closing of the octopus fisheries for a period of time that allows female octopuses to complete their reproductive period. We are also envisaging a second annual closure to allow for the juveniles to grow.” - Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands

In Rodrigues, the temporary fishery moratorium allowed the octopus population to regenerate and provided some respite for the coral reefs. The artisanal octopus fishers damage the reef significantly in their hunt for the octopus and the fishery closure provide 2 months of rest for the corals, which allows the reef to regenerate as well. Since 2017, Rodrigues is also practicing a second annual closed season from February to March.

From a socio-economic perspective, the closures resulted in increased income for the fishers as the catch went up, from 29 tons to 37 and 38 tons in 2016 and 2017 respectively on mainland Mauritius. To further educate the community on natural resource management, the involved NGOs set up a community awareness campaign that involved educating and training local fishers. Regional and international agencies such as the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the GEF Small Grants Programme played a role in building bridges and supporting strong collaborative partnerships between local NGOs and governmental institutions.