Science Advisory Report  2016/044

2015 Lobster stock assessment on the North Shore (LFAs 15, 16 and 18) and at Anticosti Island (LFA 17), Quebec area

Summary

• On the North Shore and at Anticosti Island, abundance and biomass indicators have increased significantly since 2011. Lobster landings in Area 15 were 32 t in 2015, which represents an increase of 113% compared to 2011 (15 t) and 45% compared to the average of the past 25 years (22 t). In Area 16, landings have increased by 267% (22 t) compared to 2011 (6 t) and 100% compared to the average of the past 25 years (11 t). At Anticosti Island, in Area 17B, landings have been increasing since 2005, reaching a historical maximum of 504 t in 2015, which is a 189% increase from 2011 (174 t) and 217% of the average of the past 25 years (159 t). In Area 18, landings increased from 2 t in 2011 to 17 t in 2015.
• In areas 15 and 16, catch per unit effort (CPUE) in weight from commercial sampling increased by 151% from 2011 to 2015, while fishing effort has remained low and stable since 2011. In Area 17, the 2015 CPUE from logbooks was 131% more than 2011 levels (1.1 kg/trap), while fishing effort has been relatively stable since 2009–2011.
• Commercial sampling for demographic indicators is very limited in this region, especially in areas 15 and 16, where the number of lobster measured from commercial sampling is insufficient to draw conclusions on trends in legal lobster size or egg production. In Area 17, size structures are broad and the average size is stable. For females in this area, the average size is stable and the growing number of jumbo females (>127 mm) suggests sustained or increased egg production.
• Landings in areas 15–18 and significantly greater CPUE in areas 15–17 suggest that lobster stocks on the North Shore and at Anticosti Island are in excellent condition and that these indicators should continue to increase.
• Due to the significant increase in landings in areas 15–18, it is recommended that dockside commercial sampling be increased in these areas. It is also recommended that Area 17 catches landed in the Magdalen Islands be sampled.

This Science Advisory Report is from the meeting of February 25 and 26, 2016, on the Assessment of the Lobster in the Quebec’s Inshore Waters. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted as they become available on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Advisory Schedule.

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