Lobster Recruitment Index Project

Project Summary

In 1999, the FSRS launched a Lobster Recruitment Index Project that includes over 150 participants from all Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, spanning from Cape Breton to the Upper Bay of Fundy (LFAs 27-35). Through this project, volunteer fishermen use two to five project traps to count, sex, and measure the size of lobster they catch in these traps and record these data in logbooks. They also note if lobsters are berried, tagged and/or v-notched. A VEMCO minilog is also attached to one of their traps to record bottom temperature throughout the season.

Objectives

American lobster is an extremely important species to the Canadian East Coast fishery. This project was established to help increase research on this species to support lobster management. The data collected through this project helps to study changes in abundance of juvenile lobsters that will be recruited into the lobster fishery in the upcoming seasons. We hope that through this project, we will be able to predict, with some degree of uncertainty, any increases or declines for the commercial lobster fishery.

Years Ran

1999-Present

Recent Results

Lobster Recruitment Trap Project – 2014-2015 Update

Lobster Recruitment Trap Project 2013-2014 Update

LFA 32 2014 Update

LFA 29-30 Summary 2014 Season

LRA 27 2014 Update

Overall 2011 summary

For additional information or to become more involved in this FSRS project, please contact the FSRS office at 1-800-226-3777.

Shannon, FSRS’s Director of Operations, interacting with eager young minds at the BIO Expo
Vice President, Hughie Boutilier, emptying a recruitment trap
Sometimes we work during our vacations, but our LR folks make it worthwhile!
Jade and Drew delivering new traps to our LR participants in Cape Breton
A thermometer, but a little more heavy duty