Caught with a harpoon at low tide in the coral shallows of Rodrigues" lagoon, octopus is something of an island obsession, so much so that the island"s authorities have felt compelled to secure the future of their national dish, a fragrant octopus curry, by putting measures in place to prevent overfishing. No-one may fish for octopus from February-March or September-October. During these months, said Laval, octopus fishers are paid by the local authorities not to fish by doing other work, including cleaning local beaches.