Assessment of American lobster in Newfoundland

Abstract

As in previous assessments, Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) were grouped into four assessment regions: Northeast Coast (LFAs 3-6), Avalon (LFAs 7-10), South Coast (LFAs 11-12), and West Coast (LFAs 13-14). Note the current assessment is primarily based on fishery-dependent data from commercial traps from the 2005–21 time series. In 2022 preliminary landings were at the highest in a century (5,780 t); this reflects increasing trends in the Northeast, South and West Coast regions, while reported landings in the Avalon region have remained low. However, reporting rates vary across regions and reported landings likely do not reflect total removals. Throughout the time series estimates of exploitation rates are high in all assessment regions (40–70% in 2021). Biomass indices have increased to time-series highs in all assessment regions in recent years. Short-term recruitment prospects appear steady in the Northeast and Avalon regions and at the highest levels in the time series in the South and West coast regions. Recent improvements in recruitment appear to be associated with increasing sea surface temperature in the assessment regions.