Enhancing the supply chain of the octopus’ fishery in Mauritius and Rodrigues
24 November 2015
The Minister responsible for fisheries in Mauritius recently announced that in 2016 the octopus’ fishery will be closed for two months (August and September) at national level. This decision follows a voluntary pilot octopus closure project in the south of Mauritius funded by the SmartFish programme and implemented by the Mauritius Marine Conservation Society. Results obtained shows that the closure period impacted positively as the octopus increased in size and weight to the delight of the fishers concerned.
It is to be noted that in Rodrigues, the 4th closure period (August/September 2015) also impacted positively on the supply chain. Some 12 tonnes of octopus were collected on the first day of re-opening on the 10th October 2015 as compared to some 10 tonnes collected last year. Octopus fishers in Rodrigues are employed in alternative jobs during the closure period.