Pink Lobster, Palinurus mauritanicus (Gruvel, 1911), from the Mauritanian Coast: Elements of Biology and Exploitation

ABSTRACT Due to its biological characteristics (i.e. late sexual maturity, long reproductive cycle and high mortality of the larval phases due to predation and/or climatic hazards), the lobster is considered a highly vulnerable species. Furthermore, its high market value is such has led to a rush to exploit it to such an extent that some coastal cephalopods fishing vessels are being transformed into lobster vessels and European chartered vessels are arriving in Mauritanian waters. Therefore, in order to make the exploitation of this species biologically, economically and socially sustainable, a monitoring of landings of this species were undertaken from 2015 to 2018. From February 2015 to June 2018, on a regular basis and at each landing of vessels targeting pink lobster, (Palinurus mauritanicus), several times a week or even daily, sampling was carried out on board the vessels or at lobster production plants of this species at the time of their sorting and packaging. A total of 31770 individuals were measured and weighed; their level of maturity and moulting state were noted. This deep-sea species, reproduces all year round with a period of intense reproduction between August and December. The size of the smallest mature female mature female encountered during this period of experimentation (February 2015 to June 2018) is 213.5 mm TL. Moulting individuals appear from June onwards. The asymptotic length (CL∞) of linear growth of Von Bertalanffy is 237.8 mm. The state of exploitation was studied using the Bayesian length-based biomass (LBB) estimator and indicates overexploitation of the pink lobster stock.