American lobster
Homarus americanus
What to check for
Location
Canada (Eastern Cape Breton, Eastern & South Shore Nova Scotia, LFA 27-33)
Technical location
Atlantic, Northwest, NAFO 4
Caught by
Pot, trap or creel
Certification
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
Rating summary
Stock indicators show that the lobster biomass in the Eastern Cape Breton, Eastern & South Shore Nova Scotia is high, above the proxy for BMSY. Reference points in relation to MSY are not available for fishing pressure, and fishing pressure vaires between lobster fishing areas. However, exploitation has been stable in recent years. Therefore, there is no concern for biomass or fishing pressure. There are trap limits and a minimum size limit in place, however, management would benefit from harvest control rules. In Eastern Cape Breton, Eastern & South Shore Nova Scotia, entanglement in vertical lines used in trap fishing gear is possibly leading to the decline of the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) in Atlantic Canada.Rating last updated June 2022.
How we worked out this Rating
Stock indicators show that the lobster biomass in the Eastern Cape Breton, Eastern & South Shore Nova Scotia is high, above the proxy for BMSY. Reference points in relation to MSY are not available for fishing pressure, and fishing pressure varies between lobster fishing areas. However, exploitation has been stable in recent years. Therefore, there is no concern for biomass or fishing pressure.Canadian lobster fisheries are managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Lobster stocks are assessed by 45 Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs). The most recent stock assessments for this area were carried out in 2020 (LFA 27-32) and 2021 (LFA 33). As there are no reference points in relation to MSY available for fishing pressure, route 2 (data limited) scoring has been used.The primary indicator for describing stock status in relation to reference points is the commercial catch per unit (CPUE). The combined catch rate data series from 1990-2016 was used to define the Upper Stock Reference (USR) and Limit Reference Point (LRP). This period represents both low and high productivity time periods and covers approximately 2 generations. The median of this time series was used as the proxy for BMSY. The USR and LRP were set to 80% and 40% of the BMSY proxy, respectively. The trend in CPUE indicates that a large increase in stock biomass occurred in the last 6 years. The most recent stock assessment showed that it is currently more than triple the USR. Therefore, there is no concern for biomass.The primary indicator for exploitation, the continuous change in ratio (CCIR) method, varies annually, however, the 3-year running median indicates exploitation has been relatively stable in all LFAs, where data is available. It has remained just below the removal reference (RR) of 0.84. In LFA 33, the CCIR is even lower, at around two thirds of the RR. Therefore, there is no concern for fishing pressure. American lobster has a moderate-high vulnerability to fishing pressure (0.46).
There are trap limits and a minimum size limit in place, however, management would benefit from harvest control rules.Canadian lobster fisheries are managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Lobster stocks are assessed by 45 Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs). In this area, the lobster fishery is managed using fishing effort controls to regulate the number of licenses, number and size of traps and the duration of the fishing season.Management measures per area:LFA 27 - season May 15th to July 15th, minimum size of 82.5mm carapace length (CL), there are 515 licenses, with trap amounts dependent on license type (full time, part time, communal commercial) ranging from 82 to 412LFA 28 - season April 30th to June 30th, minimum size of 84mm CL, there are 14 licenses, with between 250 to 375 traps allowed, max entrance hoop of 153mmLFA 29 - season April 30th to June 30th, minimum size of 84mm CL, there are 63 licenses, with between 75 to 375 traps allowed, max entrance hoop of 153mmLFA 30 - season May 19th to July 20th, minimum size of 82.5mm CL for males and females, maximum size of 135mm CL for females, there are 20 licenses, with 250 traps for eachLFA 31A - season April 29th to June 30th, minimum size of 82.5mm CL for males and females, closed window for females between 114-124mm, there are 71 licenses, with between 75 to 250 traps allowedLFA 31B - season April 19th to June 20th, minimum size of 82.5mm, there are 70 licenses, with 250 traps for eachLFA 32 - season April 19th to June 20th, minimum size of 82.5mm, there are 157 licenses, with between 75 to 375 traps allowedLFA 33 - season last Monday in November until May 31st, minimum size of 82.5mm, there are 682 licenses, with between 75 to 375 traps allowedFishing seasons protect spawning, molting, and extrusion periods. The minimum sizes in place protect juvenile lobsters, however, in some areas, lobsters may be below the size at 50% maturity. Closed windows and maximum sizes are in place in some LFAs to protect breeding femalesV-notching of lobsters requires removing a V-shaped piece of exoskeleton from the uropod (inner tail flap) of female lobsters of reproductive size which are carrying eggs, then returning the lobster to the sea. This allows other fishermen to know not to land this lobster as it is reproducing. V-notching has been shown to be successful at protecting egg-bearing females from fishing mortality. V-notching of lobsters is required in LFAs 31B and 32, while the mandatory release of all v-notched lobsters is required in all LFAs except 27 and 31A.The North Atlantic right whale (NARW) is listed as Endangered under the Canadian federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Canada has a suite of fisheries measures and initiatives in place in Atlantic Canada and Quebec to prevent entanglements. In 2019, new management measures to minimise the risk of interactions with North Atlantic right whale were announced. This includes adjusting the area closed to snow crab, lobster fisheries and all other non-tended fixed-gear fisheries to include the area where 90% of the North Atlantic Right Whale were sighted last year during the prime fishing season. If a North Atlantic Right Whale is seen in waters between the 10 and 20 fathom shallow water protocol lines, a temporary closure will occur and license holders will be required to move their fishing gear close to the coast. No surface floating rope attaching a trap to a primary buoy, or to another trap, is permitted after a trap has been set. All gear must be clearly identified and any lost gear must be reported within 72 hours of discovery. Since the management measures were introduced, there is not thought to be any reported North Atlantic Right Whales bycatch in Canadian waters.There is a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified lobster fishery in this area. The Maritime Canada inshore lobster trap fishery covers five Units of Assessment over many LFAs. The certification has a condition in place that 'the client shall provide evidence that the combined effects of the MSC Units of Assessment on the North Atlantic right whale are known and are highly likely to be within the national limit'.
In Eastern Cape Breton, Eastern & South Shore Nova Scotia, entanglement in vertical lines used in trap fishing gear is possibly leading to the decline of the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) in Atlantic Canada.In Canada, lobsters are caught in traps, and can be fished individually or as part of a fleet of up to several hundred pots, depending on the size of the boat and crew, and license restrictions. Pots are portable traps made of wood or steel wire and plastic. The lobster is baited into the initial part (the chamber) and moves into the secondary part (the parlour) where it becomes trapped.Habitat impacts from potting are low but can occur during deployment, soak time or hauling of the pot, impacting the benthic habitat and associated species through contact with the pot or end weight, or by scouring from ropes. Research that has taken place suggests that while some damage does occur to the sediment, it is unlikely to be significant unless potting intensity is high (defined as approximately 30 pots per 500 square metres). Most damage occurs where traps are set in rocky habitats that are home to corals, sponges, sea whips and other large emergent species. These habitats and species provide nursery areas, refuges from predators and habitat for the settlement of invertebrate spat.Pot fisheries tend to be highly selective as undersized animals can be returned to the sea alive and survival rates for non-target organisms are thought to be high. More than half of the bycatch caught are predicted to survive, although there is little available research to prove this. Measures to further reduce bycatch include the use of escape panels to allow undersize animals and bycatch to escape pots. In some circumstances, there can be instances of ghost fishing, when lost fishing gear continues to fish and can entangle a variety of species, but this can be minimised by using appropriate gear and release devices.Entanglement in vertical lines used in pot fishing gear is thought to be one of the main threats to the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW). NARW migrates annually from calving grounds in the southeastern U.S. to feeding grounds in Atlantic Canada, where it is most commonly found in the Gulf of St Lawrence. NARW have rarely been reported in the Newfoundland and Labrador region and in the East Cape Breton region, although there is a lack of observer coverage and they may be found in these areas in the future. Population estimates of NARW vary, and recent literature suggests that there were fewer than 350 in 2020, with fewer than 100 reproductive-age females. With so few breeding individuals, the death of a single animal from any cause could pose a threat to the continued existence of the species.More than 90% of NARW entanglements are not identifiable to gear. In 2017, 12 NARW mortalities were known to have occurred in Canadian waters (all in the Gulf of St Lawrence), with both entanglements and ship strikes identified to be causes for mortalities. Only one of the whales had gear present when examined. Rope strengths in the pot fishery have increased in recent decades due to manufacturing, which could reduce the ability to breakaway when entangled in gear.Since management measures were introduced in 2018, the number of NARW mortalities in Canadian waters is thought to have decreased. In 2018, no NARW mortalities were recorded in Canadian waters. In 2019, a total of 9 NARW were found dead in Canadian waters but the cause is unknown (necropsies attributed vessel strikes to 4 out of 5 whales that were examined). No mortalities have been reported for 2020 and 2021 however there has been one report in each of 2021 and 2022 of a NARW seen alive with gear entangled. Management targets in Canada are for zero NARW deaths and it is thought that the recent measures introduced have been effective in helping reach that target.
References
DFO, 2020. Lobster Fishing Areas 27-28 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan. Available at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/ifmp-gmp/maritimes/2019/inshore-lobster-eng.html#toc4 [Accessed on 06.06.2022].DFO, 2021. Stock status of American lobster (Homarus americanus) in lobster fishing areas 27-32 for 2020. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2021/029. Available at https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2021/mpo-dfo/fs70-7/Fs70-7-2021-029-eng.pdf [Accessed on 06.06.2022].DFO, 2022. Stock status update for American lobster (Homarus americanus) in lobster fishing area 33 for 2021. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2022/010. Available at https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2022/mpo-dfo/fs70-7/Fs70-7-2022-010-eng.pdf [Accessed on 06.06.2022].Marine Stewardship Council. Maritime Canada inshore lobster trap fishery. Available at https://fisheries.msc.org/en/fisheries/maritime-canada-inshore-lobster-trap-fishery/@@view [Accessed on 06.06.2022].Knowlton, A. R., Clark, J. S., Hamilton, P. K., Kraus, S. D., Pettis, H. M., Rolland, R. M. and Schick, R. S. 2022. Fishing gear entanglement threatens recovery of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Conservation Science and Practice. 4:e12736.Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. 2022. American lobster. Canada: Northwest Atlantic. Pots. Available at https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendation/lobster/american-lobster-802?species=127 [Accessed on 15.09.2022].NOAA Fisheries. 2021. North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2021. Available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/north-atlantic-right-whale-calving-season-2021#more-information [Accessed on 06.06.2022].NOAA Fisheries. 2022. 2017–2022 North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Event. Available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/2017-2022-north-atlantic-right-whale-unusual-mortality-event#interactive-map [Accessed on 06.06.2022].Palomares, M. L. D. and Pauly, D. Editors. 2021. SeaLifeBase. Homarus americanus, American lobster. Available at https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Homarus-americanus.html [Accessed on 06.06.2022].Pettis, H. M., Pace, R. M., Hamilton, P. K. 2022. North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium 2021 Annual Report Card. Report to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium. Available at https://www.narwc.org/uploads/1/1/6/6/116623219/2021report_cardfinal.pdf [Accessed on 15.09.2022].
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