Terms of Reference

Stock Status Update of American Lobster in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34

Regional Peer Review – Maritimes Region

October 7, 2022
Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Rabindra Singh

Context

Commercial Lobster fishing in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34 occurs in the outer Bay of Fundy and eastern Gulf of Maine off of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Commercial Lobster fishing in LFA 34 currently has the highest landings and the most participants of any LFA in Canada. Landings in LFA 34 began a long-term increase in the 1980s and recent landings are near record highs.

The status of the Lobster resource in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34 to the end of the 2018-2019 season (May 31, 2019) was fully assessed in October 2019 (DFO 2021) following methods that were developed during a stock assessment framework in January 2019 (Cook et al. in prep). The framework identified the primary stock status indicator as commercial biomass trends from four fisheries’ independent surveys with accompanying Limit Reference Points (LRPs) and Upper Stock References (USRs). Fishing pressure was assessed using relative fishing mortality that incorporates total landings and survey trends from each of the four surveys. Secondary indicators that provide additional information on fishery performance and stock status were identified. This regional Science Response process updates these indicators to the end of the 2021-2022 fishing season.

Objectives

The objectives of this regional Science Response process are to update the following stock status indicators and ensure that they have been accurately assessed against agreed-upon reference points:

• Survey indices (where available)
• Relative fishing mortality
• Lobster landings
• Fishing effort
• Commercial catch rates of Lobster

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science
• DFO Resource Management

References

• DFO. 2021.  Assessment of Lobster (Homarus americanus) in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2021/015.
• Cook. A.M., B. Hubley, V. Howse, C. Denton. In prep. 2019 Framework Assessment of the American Lobster (Homarus americanus) in LFA 34-38. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. Presented and reviewed in September 2019 at the Framework Assessment meeting.