Stock status update of lobster (Homarus americanus) in lobster fishing area 41 (4X + 5ZE) for 2021

Abstract

The status of American Lobster (Homarus americanus) in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 41 was last assessed in the fall of 2017 (DFO 2018; Cook et al. 2017) with annual updates in the following years (DFO 2019, DFO 2020a, DFO 2021). This update applies the suite of indicators from the 2017 assessment to determine the stock status for the 2021 fishing season. The Northeast Fisheries Science Centre (NEFSC) surveys were not conducted in 2020, and the at-sea observer companies were restricted, or limited, in their operations due to the COVID-19 global pandemic resulting in missing or limited data in 2020. The survey data and bycatch information were updated where possible. Indicators for Lobster in LFA 41 are consistent with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) precautionary approach and allow for the evaluation and monitoring of the offshore Lobster fishery. This Science Response Report results from the Regional Science Response Process of October 22, 2021, on the Stock Status Update of American Lobster in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 41.