Species Use Database

Scalloped spiny lobster
Panulirus homarus

Used for Food and feed in Oman

A. Species

Scientific name: Panulirus homarus

Common name(s): Scalloped spiny lobster

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • Oman

Country/Region: Oman


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: National Level

Name/Details of location: 3 Governorates: Al-Sharqiyah South, Al-Wusta, Dhofar


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 1991

End Year: 2017


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Type of use: Extractive

Practice of use: Targeted fishing harvesting/exploiting or collecting wild aquatic resources

Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal

Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism

Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed

Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Largescale commercial exploitation for trade

Is this use legal or illegal?: Some use is legal and some is illegal


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people and National / local government


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable

Details of assessment carried out: Data from Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Lobster landings decreased dramatically over study period and questionnaire answers from local fishermen indicate that they do not agree with (and are thus unlikely to observe) the closed season

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Lobster landings decreased dramatically over study period and questionnaire answers from local fishermen indicate that they do not agree with (and are thus unlikely to observe) the closed season. However, Price for lobsters is increasing so that smaller catches are economically viable and over-fishing is not necessary

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Lobster landings decreased dramatically over study period and questionnaire answers from local fishermen indicate that they do not agree with (and are thus unlikely to observe) the closed season. However, Price for lobsters is increasing so that smaller catches are economically viable and over-fishing is not necessary

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Details of assessment carried out: this study does not record this

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: this study does not record this

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Details of assessment carried out: this study does not record this

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: this study does not record this


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species

If continuity and long-term sustainability of the fishery is a priority, then fishers’ commitment in running an economically viable and environmentally sustainable fishing should be secured through a partnership approach based on coordination between management facility, law/ policy makers and local fishermen, where then the by-all-parties-supported laws are enforced effectively


Record source

Information about the record source: scientific_pub

Date of publication/issue/production: 2019-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

Bose, S., Al Balushi, A. H., Al-Haddabi, A., & Al-Bulushi, R. (2019). Is co-management feasible in achieving fisheries sustainability? A case of Oman’s lobster fishery. Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences [JAMS], 24, 2-18.

Date of record entry: 2022-11-10