New Caledonia lobster aquaculture trials: The season is here!
Wednesday, 13 July 2011 15:50
By Antoine Teitelbaum

Over the last couple of years, New Caledonia’s provincial fisheries offices have aimed at implementing a small experimental lobster aquaculture industry based on wild Panulrius ornatus pueruli, which are mainly caught as they settle into the lagoon. In 2009, fisheries officers from New Caledonia had the opportunity to attend a study tour in Vietnam where they witnessed all aspects of the industry, from collection to grow-out in sea cages.

The process is quite simple but it is critical to first identify suitable settlement areas. Afterwards, larvae collectors are deployed. The principal target species in New Caledonia is P. ornatus, which spawns during the warm months of September to January. Given the extended larval life of this lobster species, it was anticipated that collectors should be in place by March or April. Once pueruli are seen on the collectors (mostly around the time of a new moon), they are harvested and placed in sea cages where they are fed and grown until they reach market size.

Initial trials took place in 2009 in Ouano Bay (near La Foa), a well-known lobster settlement area. The trials were successful enough to invest more effort into developing this new industry. Initial lobster recruits from these trials averaged a few hundred that were caught on of a couple longlines with collectors; there were not enough, however, to jump-start the industry in New Caledonia. Grow-out techniques on a larger scale will be demonstrated at a later date
As a result, North Province and South Province, together with New Caledonia’s Agency for Economic Development (ADECAL), with some assistance from SPC’s Aquaculture Section, decided to invest in a lobster industry development trials for 2011, and identified two areas to focus on: 1) increasing the number of juveniles by collecting from a variety of places around New Caledonia; and 2) determining the technical feasibility of lobster grow-out in sea cages on a commercial scale.

Two fishermen from the North Province (one from Canala and one from Kone), and two from the South Province (one from Thio and one from Yaté) were selected for training, in addition to the fishermen who had been part of the pioneering aquaculture venture of Ouano Bay (Société Aquacole de Ouano). All of the selected fishermen came from areas where lobsters were known to recruit. In April 2011, the fishermen gathered in Ouano to build the larvae collectors, which would be deployed later that same month.

A floating cage raft was built and deployed in Ouano Bay. All juveniles collected during 2011 will be kept by fishermen for several days before being transferred to grow-out cages at Ouano.

Everyone involved is hopeful that out of the five collection sites, there will be enough lobster pueruli  to increase the development of this new and exciting industry. The grow-out, if done correctly, will allow animals to reach plate size within 6–9 months. Panulirus ornatus is the fastest growing tropical lobster, so why not imagine locally grown lobsters being available for New Year’s Eve 2011!

For more information, contact:

Adrien Rivaton (ADECAL): This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Claire Marty (Province Nord): This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thomas Requillart (Province Sud): This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Antoine Teitelbaum (SPC): This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it