Papua New Guinea Rock Lobster: Traditional fishing brings sustainable rewards
Image: MSC / Marcelo Hidalgo / FIS
(PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 5/10/2024)
Papua New Guinea's free diving rock lobster fishers harvest their catch by hand. Their traditional, selective technique has helped their fishery to become the island nation’s first to achieve certification for sustainability.
Hailing from Daru Island, the fishery is a small enterprise comprised of just seven boats, each with around six fishers onboard. The fishers dive in the Torres Strait, holding their breath or using hookahs that supply surface air via a hose.