Proceedings of the regional advisory process on lobster from LFA 25 : Comptes-rendus du processus consultatif régional du homard de ZPH 25 : le 3 février, 2004, Cht́eau Moncton, Moncton (Nouveau-Brunswick)

The purpose of the meeting was to review the information and interpretation of the data relating to the fishery, biology, and to infer the status of the lobster resource in LFA 25. [...] Indices based on the number of empty traps in August, decline in the CPUE after the second week of the fishery, and indices of pre-recruits and recruits from the fisheries programs and the trawl surveys were consistent, and indicated a continued decline in abundance. [...] As an introduction, the chair indicated that the assessment meeting followed on the regional assessment process of February 2002 in which the status of the lobster fisheries in all fishing areas of the southern Gulf of St. [...] As further clarification, it was indicated that the meeting was to review the information and interpretation of the data relating to the fishery, biology, and to infer the status of the lobster resource in LFA 25. [...] At the end of the day, the participants at the meeting including biologists, fisheries managers, fishermen and the industry would have the same information with which to address questions related to management of the fishery and of the resource.