Science Advisory Report 2016/052
Assessment of American Lobster in Newfoundland
Summary
Overall (LFAs 3-14)
- The Newfoundland lobster assessment was completed for four regions which consist of a geographical grouping of LFAs into Northeast (LFAs 3‑6), Avalon (LFAs 7‑10), South Coast (LFAs 11‑12), and West Coast (LFAs 13‑14).
- Total reported landings for Newfoundland have remained relatively stable since the 1960s, and were 2,750 t in 2015. Since 2010, landings have decreased in the Avalon, have increased in the South and West Coast regions, and have not changed in the Northeast.
- Nominal effort (based on active fishers, trap limits and fishing days) decreased by 45% since 2006 due to license retirements, fewer active fishers, shorter seasons, and trap limit reductions.
- Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) has increased gradually over the past decade.
- Most size frequency distributions clearly show a sharp drop at legal size and few lobsters achieving the second molt class, indicating that most of the exploitable biomass is caught in the year of recruitment to the fishery.
- Survival of unprotected lobster (male, non-ovigerous non-v-notched female), relative to protected lobster (ovigerous female), is low. In addition, within the legal size, large lobster survive better than small lobster.
- Since detection in 2007, European green crab may have negatively impacted the resource through predation, competition, and habitat modification. The expansion of green crab in the South Coast region, a high lobster-producing area, has heightened this concern.
Northeast Region (LFAs 3-6)
- Reported landings have declined from about 750 t in the early 1990s to 225 t in 2015.
- Nominal effort has decreased by 16% since 2012 due to fewer active fishers.
- Mean CPUE based on logbook data increased gradually from 2004 to 2015.
- Relative to protected (ovigerous) females, survival over the fishing season for male lobster has remained unchanged (at around 20%) and for unprotected (non-ovigerous) female lobster has increased slightly (to around 20%) in recent years.
Avalon Region (LFAs 7–10)
- Reported landings have declined from about 460 t in the early 1990s to about 30 t in 2015.
- Nominal effort has decreased by 32% since 2012 due to fewer active fishers.
- Mean CPUE based on logbook data increased gradually from 2005 to 2015.
- Relative to protected (ovigerous) females, survival over the fishing season for both male and non-protected (non-ovigerous) female lobster has increased from about 10% before 2012 to about 30% since 2012.
South Coast Region (LFAs 11–12)
- Reported landings increased from about 400 t in the early 1990s to about 1,200 t in 2015.
- Nominal effort has decreased by 15% since 2012 due to license retirements, and fewer active fishers.
- Mean CPUE based on logbook data has increased gradually from 2005 to 2015.
- Relative to protected (ovigerous) females, survival over the fishing season for both male and non-protected (non-ovigerous) female lobster has fluctuated around 20% since 2004.
West Coast Region (LFAs 13–14)
- Reported landings have varied without trend since the early 1990s and were about 1,300 t in 2015.
- Nominal effort has decreased by 15% since 2012 due to license retirements, and fewer active fishers.
- Mean CPUE based on logbook data has increased gradually from 2004 to 2015.
- Relative to protected (ovigerous) females, survival over the fishing season for both male and non-protected (non-ovigerous) female lobster has fluctuated around 5% since 2004.
This Science Advisory Report is from the May 10‑11 and May 16, 2016 regional peer review on the Assessment of American Lobster in Newfoundland. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.
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