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Conservation Measures for Atlantic Lobster Fisheries
Evaluation Criteria for Sustainability Plans for LFA Wide Conservation Measures for Atlantic Lobster Fisheries
Conservation Plan Elements (larger view)
| Guidelines for eligibility recommendations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability Requirement | Indicator/ standard |
Rationale | Available measures[1] | Meets | Exceeds |
| 1. Improved Prospects for biological
productivity as defined by: Sufficient egg production to protect recruitment potential. |
Minimum Size at or above size where female maturity = 50%; or equivalent | - Required by DFO Sustainable
Fisheries Framework; - FRCC recommendation 2007; - Helps address eco-certification [2]. |
- Minimum legal size. - Maximum legal size. - Window size. - Substantial[3] effort reduction. - Refugia[4]. |
Substantial progress[7] toward standard by March 31, 2014 | Meets or exceeds standard by March 31, 2014 |
| --- OR --- | |||||
| PA framework developed and in use | - Required by DFO Sustainable
Fisheries Framework; - Helps address eco-certification[2]. |
- PA framework development process with Department | Commitment to put in use by March 31, 2012 | In place at time of Sustainability Plan evaluation | |
| 2. Reliable reporting as defined by: Independently verifiable information to support management and science processes. |
Reliable catch and effort information[6] | - Required by DFO Sustainable Fisheries Framework; - FRCC recommendation 2007; - Helps address eco-certification[2] . |
- Catch and effort data submitted in standard format to DFO electronically. - Dockside monitoring. |
100% catch and effort data without independently verifiable monitoring already met or scheduled[5] to be met by March 31, 2012 | Reliable[6], 100% catch and effort data (based on definition) already met or scheduled[5] changes will be met by March 31, 2012 |
| 3. Reduced ecosystem impacts as defined by: Monitoring and minimized impact of lobster fishing activities on ecosystem. |
Effective measures in place to: - reduce ghost fishing, - reduce entanglements, - record bycatches. |
- Required by
DFO Sustainable Fisheries Framework. - Helps address eco-certification[2]. |
- All traps used have effective biodegradable trap elements; - No lost tag replacement permitted in season; -Quick-release mechanisms and anti-entanglement protocol in place; - Monitoring of the number of gear lost; - Monitoring of bycatch and species at risk. |
Meets 1 of the 3 indicators with reliable6 monitoring met by March 31, 2012 | Meet 2 or more of the 3 indicators with reliable[6] monitoring met by March 31, 2012 |
Table notes:
[1] Other measures may be suggested and will be considered to the
extent they can be evaluated.
[2] This is not definitive as compliance with eco-certification standard
is assessed by third party certifying bodies.
[3] Recognizing the difficulty to quantify precisely the impact of an
effort reduction on the exploitation rate, the reduction in effort must
be important enough to represent a real benefit in terms of conservation
(a minimum of 25% of trap hauls or trap reductions).
[4] Refugia may be proposed; however, these will be evaluated for
their long term contribution to increased egg production.
[5] Under this element, changes must be scheduled to take effect in a
progressive and orderly manner.
[6] A reliable level of reporting or monitoring is comprehensive
enough at the scale of the LFA to ensure a good tracking of the fishery
and of the status of the resource. To be reliable, it must be,
verifiable, independent and timely.
[7] Progress: scheduled[5] changes to close the distance to the egg
production standard by at least half will be met by March 31, 2014.
Eligibility recommendations will be based on the following scheme:
Rating
Exceeds: If Plan reaches this level in each of the three Sustainability Requirements
Meets: If Plan reaches this level in each of the three Sustainability Requirements
