Force Lobster Catch Ability Survey

FORCE conducted a lobster catchability study in fall 2021. The study design was developed in 2019 by TriNav Fisheries Consultants Ltd., and included the deployment of 18 experimental lobster traps near the FORCE tidal demonstration site during two sampling phases (phase I: August 29 – September 3, and Phase II: September 27 – October 1). Technicians from the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society (FSRS) collected biological data including carapace length, sex, shell hardness and reproductive stage for females. Hemolymph and pleopod samples were collected to assess the potential retention of t-bar tags. A total of 582 lobster were caught over the course of the study, and 477 were tagged and released. The re-capture of several tagged lobster was reported by local fishers during the fall 2021 lobster fishing season, suggesting that the movement of the lobster within the minas basin may be limited. Multivariate analysis was conducted to determine if there was a difference in CPUE between sample sites, and if abiotic factors (e.g., temperature, bathymetry and tidal flow) influenced the catchability of lobster.