Scallop Buffer Zones (SFA 21, 22, 24)

Location

Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence Bioregion (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia)

Approximate Size (km²) contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

5,835 km²

Approximate % coverage contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

0.10%

Conservation Objective

Protect juvenile lobster habitat

Species of regional importance: juvenile American lobster

• Why it is important: American lobster is a commercially important species.

Habitat that is important to biodiversity conservation: American lobster nursery habitat

• Why it is important: American lobster nursery habitat is important for the life-cycle of the species.

Prohibitions

The ecological components of interest are effectively conserved through the following prohibitions:

Scallop dragging.

Other Considerations

No human activities that are incompatible with the conservation of the ecological components of interest may occur or be foreseeable within the area.

Environmental Context

These closures offer protection to other important species and habitats in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. For example, SFA 22 contains the last remaining area in which the winter skate (a population under the endangered designation by COSEWIC) is found during the summer. It also includes a unique population of lady crab (suspected to be endemic to the region), and the rock crab (an important prey for several species and a commercial species).