Terms of Reference

Update to 2016 of the indicators of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) and the rock crab (Cancer irroratus) stocks of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

Regional Science Response Process – Gulf Region

November 14, 2016
Moncton, New Brunswick

Chairperson: Marc Ouellette (DFO Gulf Region)

Context

In support of a request for science advice from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, DFO Gulf Science Branch will provide an update to 2016 of the stock status indicators used in the most recent assessment of American lobster (Homarus americanus) and rock crab (Cancer irroratus) of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The most recent assessments for lobster and rock crab were completed in 2013 (DFO 2013a, 2013b; Rondeau et al. 2014, 2015). Reference points for lobster were defined in DFO (2014).

Objectives

Provide an update of the stock status indicators for American lobster relative to the last assessment (DFO 2013a; Rondeau et al. 2015) including:

• Fishing pressure indices: proportion of empty traps and trends in nominal effort expressed in terms of licences or traps.
• Fishery dependent abundance indices: landings and catch per unit effort.
• Fishery independent abundance indices: Northumberland trawl survey and dive surveys .
• Fishery dependent production indices: catch rates of berried females from at-sea sampling and catch rates of pre-fishery recruit sizes in modified traps from the recruitment-index program.
• Fishery independent production indices: sublegal size lobsters from the trawl survey and abundance of 1-year old lobster assessed by SCUBA diving surveys.
• Update the carapace size at 50% maturity based on recent sampling and following the methods described in in Comeau and Savoie (2002) and Comeau (2003).
• Recent stock status abundance indicator in relation to the established reference points (DFO 2014).

Provide an update of the rock crab fishery status indicators relative to the last assessment as described in DFO (2013b; Rondeau et al. 2014) including:

• Fishery dependent abundance indices: landings, the catch per unit effort, and the percentage of licence holders reaching their individual allocation, derived from the mandatory logbook reports and the dockside monitoring program.
• Fishery independent abundance indicators: rock crab settlement index derived from standardized bio-collectors.

Expected Publications

• CSAS Science Response Report of indicators of American lobster of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• CSAS Science Response Report of indicators of the rock crab fishery of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Ecosystems and Science Branch, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management Branch)

References

Comeau, M. (ed.). 2003. Workshop on lobster (Homarus americanus and H. gammarus) reference points for fishery management held in Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick, 8-10 September 2003: Abstracts and proceedings. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2506: vii + 35 p.

Comeau, M., and Savoie, F. 2002. Maturity and reproductive cycle of the female American lobster, Homarus americanus, in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 22: 762-774.

DFO. 2013a. American lobster, Homarus americanus, stock status in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence: LFA 23, 24, 25, 26a and 26b. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/029.

DFO. 2013b. Assessment of the Rock Crab (Cancer irroratus) fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence for 2006 to 2011. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/030.

DFO. 2014. Reference point options for the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence lobster stock (Lobster Fishing Areas 23, 24, 25, 26A, 26B). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2014/027.

Rondeau, A., Hanson, J.M., and Comeau, M. 2014. Rock crab, Cancer irroratus, fishery and stock status in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence: LFA 23, 24, 25, 26A and 26B. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2014/032. vi + 52 p.

Rondeau, A., Comeau, M., and Surette, T. 2015. Assessment of the American Lobster (Homarus americanus) Stock Status in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (LFA 23, 24, 25, 26A and 26B). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2014/036. ix + 91 p.