Panama regulates jellyfish fishing

ARAP allows the fishing and trade of the cannon ball jellyfish to small vessels for a period of two years.

The Government of Panama adopted measures to organize the fishing and commercialization of the cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris), also known as the cabbagehead jellyfish, in order to avoid illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

This was done through a resolution issued by the Water Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP) and published on November 15 in the Official Gazette.

The resolution will  allow the fishing  and the trade of the cannon ball jellyfish to small vessels for a period of two years.  They must have a valid riparian fishing permit and must undergo a technical inspection of the vessel made by officials of the Arap. Only thirty small boats will be allowed to fish and the permit is annual.

The fishing boats with have outboard motors and will have a capacity of less than ten tons of gross product.

The Arap establishes that the boats can renew the annual permit for  jellyfish fishing and that they must present a report in kilogram of the jellyfish capture made by the fishing vessel.

The Arap recommended the opening and commercialization of the fishery of the aquatic organism for 2019-2020, to obtain biological fishing information that allows defining the future of the activity in Panama.

The jellyfish is a highly valued species in the Asian market in the areas of cosmetology, pharmacy and gastronomy.