Stock status update of lobster (Homarus americanus) in lobster fishing area 41 (4X + 5Ze) for 2022

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 2020, DFO 2021, DFO 2022a). This update applies the suite of indicators from the 2017 assessment to determine the stock status for the 2022 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 NEFSC surveys resumed in 2021. The Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Research Vessel (RV) survey took place in 2022 but the Georges Bank survey data are unavailable until calibration coefficients for the new research vessel and gear are generated. Survey data and bycatch information were updated where possible. Indicators for Lobster in LFA 41 are consistent with the DFO precautionary approach and allow for the evaluation and monitoring of the offshore Lobster fishery. This Science Response Report results from the Regional Peer Review of October 20, 2022 on the Stock Status Update of American Lobster in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 41.