Crustaceans

Rock lobsters, prawns, langoustines and crabs are valuable fisheries resources. There is evidence that Marine Protected Areas can support fisheries management of rock lobsters through spillover.  Lobsters have complex lifecycles and more work is needed to plan for protection of the connected areas where different life history phases of these high value resource species occur.

MPAs can help protect representative habitat for fisheries. The lace coral habitats where the endemic south coast rock lobster occur are protected in parts of the Amathole Offshore MPA. In shallow water, West Coast Rock Lobsters already receive some protection in the waters around Robben Island and protection for East Coast Rock Lobster. Muddy habitats in the Amathole Offshore MPA support several prawn species, crabs, langoustines, including the Deepwater Rock Lobster. Deep water crabs on the west coast are currently harvested as a bycatch in the trawl fishery have some protection in the Orange Shelf Edge MPA.  South African scientists are working hard to understand the habitat preferences of the rich diversity of crustacean resources in South Africa.