Terms of Reference

Update of the indicators of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) stocks of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

Regional Science Response Process – Gulf Region

November 21, 2018
Moncton, New Brunswick

Chairperson: Gérald Chaput

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 of the stock status indicators used in the most recent assessment of American lobster (Homarus americanus) of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The most recent assessment for lobster was completed in 2013 (DFO 2013; Rondeau et al. 2015). Reference points for lobster were defined in DFO (2014) and an update of indicators was provided in 2016 (DFO 2016).

Objective

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, abundance of 1-year old lobster assessed by SCUBA diving surveys, and indices of larval settlement based on data from biocollectors.
• Stock status abundance indicator in relation to the established reference points (DFO 2014).

Expected Publications

• Science Response

Expected Participation

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

References

DFO. 2013. 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. 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.

DFO. 2016. Update of the stock status indicators for the American lobster (Homarus americanus) stocks in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2016/051.

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.