Canada Newfoundland and Labrador lobster - pot/trap

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Overview

The Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Lobster Pot FIP was initially started by Quin Sea Fisheries Limited of St. John’s, NL and has since been adopted for implementation and financial management by the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) of Newfoundland and Labrador, also of St. John’s, NL. ASP is an association comprised of numerous lobster buyers, live traders, and producers.  ASP is also intricately involved in production and marketing of several other commercial species within the province.

Interested ASP member companies, as FIP participants, will collaborate with the regulator, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to align and improve the fishery’s management and science with the ultimate objective of achieving Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fishery sustainability certification.

The FIP intends to address all fishing practices in the legally permitted pot fishery for American lobster (Homarus americanus) in Lobster Fishing Areas 3 - 14, which operates in the waters surrounding the island of Newfoundland, completely within Canadian EEZ waters.

The fishery dates back to the 1870s and is localized and happens from small open boats during an 8-10 week spring fishing season. Traps are set close to shore, at depths generally less than 20 m. Fishing effort is controlled through restrictive licensing and daily trap limits. Regulations prohibit the harvest of undersized (i.e. <82.5 mm carapace length) and ovigerous animals. In addition, there is a voluntary practice called v-notching, which involves cutting a shallow mark in the tail fan of an ovigerous female. The mark is retained for at least 2-3 molts and notched females cannot be retained in the fishery. The practice thus serves to protect proven spawners even when they are not carrying eggs externally. The number of licenses is currently around 2,450 and trap limits range from 100 to 300 depending on the Lobster Fishing Area (DFO 2016).

FIP Description 

The Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Lobster Pot FIP was initially started by Quin Sea Fisheries Limited of St.

FIP Objective(s) 

The Canada Newfoundland and Labrador lobster - pot/trap FIP objectives expected to be achieved by March 2025 are:

  • Develop fishery-based metrics to be used in determining index-based stock status
  • Benchmark effectiveness of metrics to confirm ongoing success of harvest strategy
  • Update harvest strategy incorporating improved metrics, objectives and HCRs
  • Standardize fishery monitoring metrics across all LFAs
  • Determine bycatch interaction
  • Determine bait species usage, provenance and impact on Primary & Secondary species
  • Conduct a review of the potential effectiveness and practicality of alternative measures to minimize UoA-related mortality of unwanted catch of the target, Primary, Secondary and ETP species.
  • Ensure adequate information from UoA impacts on primary, secondary and ETP species is collected and incorporated into key ecosystem status assessments.
FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
March 2020
March 2025
Update 
Original date (Mar 2024) was incorrect, it was a five-year implementation schedule.
Next Progress Report Due 
Friday, January 31, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
American Lobster
Scientific Name
Homarus americanus
Buying Guide Link Image 
American Lobster
Buying Guide
Gear Type 
Pot/Trap
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 21 (Atlantic, Northwest)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Canada
Geographic Scope 
Newfoundland and Labrador
Country Flag of Vessel 
Canada
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
6,934 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
6,934 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
March 01, 2020
39% 57% 4%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF
C Some Recent Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.
  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Jan 2025
Target End Date
Mar 2025

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Association of Seafood Producers
Organization Type 
Other
Primary Contact 
Renae Butler
Email 
rbutler@seafoodproducers.org
Phone 
709-726-3730
Website Name 
Association of Seafood Producers
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
13400