14. Octopus resource management using octopus pots for spawning
Fisherman-led octopus resource management started in 2004 in the village of Nianing on Senegal’s Petite-Côte, as a pilot project of the JICA study on fisheries resource assessment and management planning. After successfully establishing a closed season for octopus fishing, the fishers continued their experimentation by installing octopus pots for spawning. In 2006, it was found that 50% of the octopus pots placed at the bottom of the sea contained octopus eggs and 75% of the pots contained octopus. The project demonstrated the effectiveness of placing octopus pots for spawning as a means of creating a favourable environment for octopus reproduction. With these results, octopus resource management also started in the neighbouring villages of Pointe Sarène and Mballing.