Terms of Reference

Stock Framework for American Lobster in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) 34 and 35-38

Regional Peer Review – Maritimes Region

September 10-11, 2019
Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Michelle Greenlaw

Context

American Lobster (Homarus americanus) is found in coastal waters from Maryland to southern Labrador, with the major fisheries concentrated around Gulf of Maine and the Gulf of St. Lawrence areas. Though lobster is most common in coastal waters, they are also found in deeper, warm water areas of the Gulf of Maine and along the outer edge of the continental shelf from North Carolina to Sable Island.

Lobster in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) 34-38 is assessed on a multi-year assessment schedule, with stock status update reports conducted in the interim years. The last stock framework assessment was conducted in 2013 (Tremblay et al. 2014). The 2013 assessment identified two stock units: LFA 34 and LFAs 35-38 and tabled abundance, recruitment, and fishing pressure indicators.  The last stock status update was completed in July 2018 (DFO 2018). This stock framework will revisit the indicators and reference points previously identified and propose new stock assessment indicators, as necessary.

Objectives

The objectives of this regional peer review are:

• Describe the basis of the management units in context of stock structure.
• Review relevant biological and ecological information (e.g., life history, fishery footprint, environmental data).
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of data sources for providing indicators of size structure, recruitment, effort, exploitation and abundance.
• Explore alternative primary and contextual indicators of stock and ecosystem status.
• Update existing reference points and develop new reference points for primary indicators, as necessary.
• Describe the biological impacts of a suite of potential harvest control rules in the lobster fishery.
• Identify indicators that would be used to characterize stock status in the intervening years of the multi-year stock assessment cycle.
• Identify changes in the indicators (trigger values) that would suggest an earlier than scheduled assessment is warranted. 
• Propose the frequency and timing of interim-year updates to be provided between full peer-reviewed stock assessments as well as the information to be included within the updates.

Expected Publication

• Proceedings
• Research Document(s)

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management
• Aboriginal communities / organizations
• Provincial government
• Industry representatives
• Non-Government Organizations
• Academics

References

DFO. 2018.  Stock Status Update of American Lobster (Homarus americanus) in Lobster Fishing Area 34. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2018/044.

DFO. 2019. Stock Status Update of American Lobster (Homarus americanus) in Lobster Fishing Areas 35-38. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2018/049. A

Tremblay, M.J., Pezzack, D.S., Gaudette, J., Denton, C., Cassista-Da Ros, M., and Allard, J. 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. viii+125 p.