Science Advisory Report 2016/045

2015 Lobster stock assessment in the Magdalen Islands (LFA 22), Quebec area

Summary

• Landings, the main indicator of abundance, reached a historic peak of 3 486 t in 2015, which was 52% higher than the 25-year average for a similar or lesser fishing effort. The increase in landings between 2011 and 2015 was greater in the north (51%) than in the south (23%).
• In 2015, for the Islands as a whole, the capture per unit effort (CPUE) in weight for commercial sampling was slightly higher (2%) than in 2011 and 30% (18% in the south and 55% in the north) higher than the average of the historical series (1985–2014).
• The demographic indicators show that the average size of commercial lobsters sampled during the fishery has increased slightly, but in a sustained manner since the end of the legal size increase in 2003. In the trawl survey, the average size of commercial lobster was also found to have risen for females since 2003, but had decreased for males since 2013.
• The fishing pressure indicators show a slight decrease in exploitation rates since 2011.
• The productivity indicators remained high. For the Islands as a whole, the egg production increase factor for the period from 1994–1996 preceding the increase in the legal size was 2.9x in 2012–2015, compared to 3.3x in 2009–2011. For these same periods, the contribution of multiparous females to egg production increased, which fosters stock productivity. Indicators of fishery pre-recruitment and recruitment suggest that landings will remain high in the coming years.
• High abundance, productivity and landings indicate that the Magdalen Islands lobster stock is in good condition and in the healthy zone according to the precautionary approach. In the current environmental conditions, the current exploitation levels have allowed these indicators to remain stable or to improve.

This Science Advisory Report is from the February 25 and 26, 2016 meeting on the Assessment of Lobster in Quebec Inshore Waters. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

Complete document (PDF, 864 KB)

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