CFMC UPDATES

In the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC)'s bulletin you will find announcements, facts about marine species, and valuable information on fishing and regulations that rule this activity in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The 172nd CFMC Regular Virtual Meeting will be held through ZOOM on December 8-9, 2020. Visit www.caribbeanfmc.com/meetingdocuments for the agenda and connection details.

U N D E R U T I L I Z E D S P E C I E S Octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

The CFMC continues promoting fishing and consumption of local species that are not overfished, do not have closures and represent a sustainable choice according to the best scientific information available. This time, we are presenting the octopus. Octopus are mollusks that inhabit coral reefs, pelagic waters, and the seabed. Some live in the intertidal zone and others at abyssal depths.

Octopuses typically hide or disguise themselves by camouflage and mimicry, and can rapidly alter their shape to squeeze through small gaps; some have conspicuous warning coloration. Octopus is eaten throughout the Caribbean; however, it is not caught in all the areas. For example, in Puerto Rico, the octopus is not caught in all the coasts Although it is consumed widely, a significant part of the octopus that is sold in the restaurants is imported Octopus is a species that could be prepared in many different ways: with sauces, marinade (escabeche), on the grill, in the oven, fried, on salad (a very common preparation in Puerto Rico and the USVI) and, of course, the famous Puerto Rican cup of octopus.