The Lobster Resource Monitoring Program continues to provide essential information for the Prince Edward Island lobster fishery, says Fisheries Aquaculture and Rural Development Minister Neil LeClair.
“The data collected from this program has been vital to identifying the characteristics in the lobster population in the waters surrounding the Island,” said Minister LeClair. “Knowing more about the resource helps manage the lobster industry in a sustainable, long-term way.”
The Lobster Resource Monitoring Program began in 1998 as a joint venture with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Since 2000, it has been solely funded by the provincial government although data is shared with the federal department. The department has a lobster biologist dedicated to the program and added a full-time lobster technician in 2009.
“The Lobster Resource Monitoring Program is a unique example of cooperation and collaboration between industry and government. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of the industry participants and department staff in the ongoing success of the program,” said Mr. LeClair.
Over 100 volunteer lobster fishers record daily information on lobster catches and that information is used to monitor population trends such as legal and sublegal sized lobster. Data has been collected on more than 1.5 million lobster since the program was initiated.
“The management of our lobster stock must be based on sound science, and the data that is collected through the Lobster Resource Management Program is critical to the future of Prince Edward Island lobster fishery,” said Mr. LeClair.