A Review of Cuttlefish Basket Trap Fishery

While cuttlefish basket trap fishery is a traditional fishing activity with a long history, there has never been an article which comprehensively assesses this type of fishery. The present review compiles existing knowledge on cuttlefish trap fishery and the findings of interviews conducted with fishermen by the authors. It mainly covers such issues as the history of cuttlefish trap fishery, relationship between traps and the catch, structure of traps, characteristics of fishing grounds and trap operating methods. In addition, the spawning habits of cuttlefish, which are closely related to trap fishery, are briefly described and the credibility of various theories on the catching process (especially the motivation of cuttlefish to enter a trap) is examined. The review concludes that because of the virtual absence of research on cuttlefish trap fishery, behavioral research is extremely necessary to establish fishery oriented resource management.