Terms of Reference

Stock Status Update of American Lobster in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34

Regional Science Response Process – Maritimes Region

May 25, 2016
Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Lottie Bennett

Context

Commercial lobster fishing in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34 occurs in the outer Bay of Fundy and eastern Gulf of Maine off of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Commercial lobster fishing in LFA 34 currently has the highest landings and the most participants of any LFA in Canada. Landings in LFA 34 began a long-term increase in the 1980s and recent landings are near record highs.

The status of the lobster resource in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34 to the end of the 2011-2012 season (May 31, 2012) was fully assessed in February 2013 (DFO 2013; Tremblay et al. 2013). The 2013 assessment identified three key indicators that capture changes in lobster abundance or biomass and proposed reference points for each indicator. The last stock status update to the end of the 2013-2014 fishing season was completed in 2015 (DFO 2015). This regional Science Response process updates these indicators to the end of the 2014-2015 fishing season.

Objectives

The objectives of this regional Science Response process are to update the following stock status indicators and ensure that they have been accurately assessed against agreed upon reference points:

• Lobster landings
• Commercial catch rate of lobster
• Fishery independent survey (Inshore Lobster Trawl Survey [ILTS]) catch rate of lobster

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science
• DFO Resource Management

References

DFO. 2013.  Assessment of Lobster (Homarus americanus) in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/024.

DFO. 2015. Lobster (Homarus americanus) off Southwest Nova Scotia (Lobster Fishing Area 34): 2015 Stock Status Update. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2015/029.

Tremblay, M.J., D.S. Pezzack, J. Gaudette, C., Denton, M. Cassista-Da Ros, and J. Allard. 2013. Assessment of Lobster (Homarus americanus) off Southwest Nova Scotia and in the Bay of Fundy (Lobster Fishing Areas 34-38). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2013/078.