Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, January 17, 2023 – For the first time, the full scope of the upcoming ‘Lobster Casitas’ plan, created by local stakeholders with the help of Dr. Rael Puga, a marine scientist, has been revealed to the public.
Set to be deployed on the Caicos Banks, the artificial lobster homes will begin with a pilot program of between 150 and 200 casitas and will require fishermen’s expertise. Local fishermen will be contracted to construct 15 habitats, each with a $1,500 payoff. Each licensed commercial vessel will then be awarded three casitas for deployment at their chosen sites. Another 1,000 of the habitats will be built and deployed after, at $200,000.
The hope is that the program will increase lobster yield in the long term, thus increasing income for fishers and providing a short-term supplemental income for lobster fishers in the off-season. The plan was revealed in the 2023 Annual Report of the Ministry of Tourism, with responsibility for fisheries.
