Eastern Canada offshore lobster: the fishers' story
Meet the Eastern Canada offshore lobster fishery
The Eastern Canada offshore lobster fishery has long been recognised for its sustainable management measures, and MSC certification is helping its fishers capitalise on those efforts.
Quick facts
"Clearwater Seafoods is committed to sustainable fisheries and we are proud to now have this third-party verification of the MSC’s rigorous standard as a way to demonstrate to our customers the sustainability of this fishery, which we feel is among the best managed lobster fisheries in the world.”
– Ian Smith, CEO of Clearwater Seafoods
Why we chose MSC certification
In order to ensure sustainability-minded consumers would know about their dedication to conservative management and the selective harvesting processes, the fishery chose to pursue MSC certification. They hoped to verify their efforts against the MSC standards so that consumers could be assured they were getting a sustainable and conscientiously managed product.What sets us apart
- Traps limit impact on non-target species and habitat.
- Restrictions on the size and sex of lobsters caught ensure many future generations of lobsters.
- Conservative quotas limit harvest to only about 15 per cent of available lobsters.
- Extensive monitoring maintains high compliance and allows for responsive management.
- Ongoing commitment to technological advances and cooperative, science-based management
Environmental benefits of MSC certification
In Nova Scotia, lobsters do not mature until about eight years of age or more, so managers set restrictions on the size and number of lobsters taken to ensure the stocks are maintained at sustainable levels. Lobsters that are below a minimum legal size, as well as egg-bearing females, must be returned to the water. The median size of offshore lobsters that are caught is higher than the size at which about half of females mature, according to Clearwater Seafoods, which means a high proportion of females have the opportunity to breed two to three times.
The traps also allow undersized lobsters and non-target species to escape through vents. And the impact of ghost fishing is mitigated by biodegradable panels that allow animals caught in lost traps to eventually escape unharmed.
Quotas, meanwhile, ensure that harvests remain at sustainable levels. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) sets an annual total allowable catch (TAC) for Canada offshore lobster and allocates portions of that quota to the individual enterprises that catch lobster, though in the case of offshore lobster Clearwater owns all eight licenses. Up to 10 per cent of the uncaught quota from the previous year is allowed to be carried over into the next year. Research has shown that the fishery's pressure on lobster stocks is low, with catches usually at only about 15 per cent of the available lobsters. Limited entry to new fishing enterprises prevents additional pressures on the stock.
Additional measures, such as a closure to all lobster fishing on Browns Bank, have further protected the larval supply and future generations of lobsters. Clearwater also voluntarily targets lobsters at the times of year when the quality of their meat is highest, which also reduces pressure on recently moulted individuals.
The offshore lobster fishing fleet is also subject to 100 per cent vessel monitoring system coverage, 100 per cent dockside monitoring and approximately 25 per cent at-sea observer coverage.
How else does MSC certification benefit the environment?Economic benefits of MSC certification
Canada offshore lobsters are landed whole and generally sold in the live market. Approximately 95 per cent of the catch is exported, with 75 per cent of the catch going to the United States. Live lobsters are also shipped to Europe, followed by Japan. It is hoped that certification will expand the fishery's access to these and additional markets, particularly among sustainably-minded consumers.
“Clearwater Seafoods is committed to sustainable fisheries and we are proud to now have this third-party verification of the MSC’s rigorous standard as a way to demonstrate to our customers the sustainability of this fishery, which we feel is among the best managed lobster fisheries in the world,” said Ian Smith, CEO of Clearwater Seafoods, at the time of certification.
How else does MSC certification improve economic prospects for fisheries?Looking ahead...
Clearwater Seafoods is testing additional modifications to their gear that might further reduce bycatch below already low levels. The fishery is also committed to ongoing peer-reviewed, cooperative assessments of the status of the lobster stock, for which their vessels regularly carry biologists to collect scientific data.
Learn more about the history and sustainability (PDF, 185kb)Get recipes for sustainable fish dishes
Find MSC labelled products from this fishery
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The article above was written by an independent journalist commissioned by the MSC to find out how MSC certification has helped this fishery.
