Keywords:
Rodrigues, closed season, octopus, fishery, closure, fishery management, alternative livelihood
Executive Summary:
This report introduces the octopus fishery of Rodrigues, an autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the western Indian Ocean. The focus of the report is the implementation of a series of seasonal closures carried out between 2012 and 2014, and gives an overview of the history, sociology, management and catch monitoring of the fishery. In particular, it details how a collaborative governmental and non-governmental effort managed this process, including communicating with relevant stakeholders, ensuring compliance and organising alternative livelihoods for fishers affected by the closures.