The California lobster fishery and climate in the kelp bed ecosystem

Exploited stocks of the west coast of the Baja California peninsula inhabit in a complex habitat of rocky reefs characterized by high diversity of seaweeds in the kelp forest. In these fishing grounds, there is intense fishing activity, inducing changes in the structure of the benthic community, such as habitat deterioration and biomass reduction of species with high commercial value such as the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus). The impact of climate was explored and a low but significant correlation between the Southern Oscillation Index and the one-year-old recruits and with the number of adults was found. The lobster fishery of this area extracts 85-92% of the total catch of the Pacific coast of the peninsula. An updated stock assessment including socioeconomic optimum fishing strategies were explored using a simulation model under 3 possible scenarios as management targets. The fishing strategies were simulated by changing fishing mortality and the age of first catch. It is expected that these results will emerge in proposals for the management of the spiny lobster fishery in the study area.