DMR Lobster Surveys Encouraging

The room was full when Department of Marine Resources (DMR) scientist Kathleen Reardon began her annual review of DMR’s 2024 lobster surveys at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Earlier at the Forum the DMR released its preliminary 2024 data on Maine’s commercial fisheries landings, showing a drop of 10 million pounds. Lobstermen wanted to know what Reardon and DMR’s numerous lobster scientists were seeing in the data.

Reardon noted that in 2024 the Gulf of Maine was generally cooler than in past years and that the lobsters started later. The catch overall was patchy and unpredictable and there were a lot of Jonah crabs in traps.

“Landings declined by 11%. 2009 was the last time we had an 80-million-pound catch. Since the peak in 2016 the catch has declined by 46 million pounds,” Reardon said. “Your experience in 2024 depended on where you fish, which zone and the location within it.” She showed a chart of landings in each zone, which indicated a decline of between 7% and 15%, with the eastern lobster zones off the most.

Lobstermen in general had a good year in 2024, despite the downturn, because of a robust price per pound--average $6.14 per pound. But Reardon cautioned lobstermen not to put too much weight on that price.

In terms of real value, Reardon showed what the 2024 catch meant in terms of inflation-adjusted dollars. 2024 was the third highest year in value in the fishery. However, using the Consumer Price Index inflation correction for live seafood, it was only the 11th highest year. In terms of price per pound, recent years have not seen the strong prices of 2024. “If you took the 2022 price per pound and applied it to 2024, it would be $181 million less,” she said.

DMR conducts multiple surveys on lobsters across its life stages, including larval surveys, settlement surveys, ventless trap surveys, spring and fall trawl surveys, and sea sampling aboard lobster boats. Many of these surveys have been conducted for decades, giving DMR a huge dataset on the population.

DMR’s larval survey at four sites off Boothbay Harbor show that larval abundance has returned to low levels after a sharp uptick in stage 4 larvae in 2023. Settlement survey data in 2024 were encouraging with settlement numbers similar to 2023, which were the first to be above average since 2011. Ventless trap samples collected at 276 sites along the coast showed an increase in sub-legal lobsters. “All areas were up in 2024,” Reardon said. “Levels were stable in the west and back to earlier levels in the midcoast and eastern zones.” She noted, however, that the numbers remain significantly below the survey high recorded a decade ago.

The Maine-N.H. fall and spring trawl surveys, which are conducted out to 12 nautical miles and to 75 fathom depth, showed that recruit abundance was up, continuing a trend begun in 2022. The extensive sea sampling program, which samples catches aboard commercial lobster boats, showed that the number of recruits had increased in all areas in 2024, and the western zones remained largely stable. “There is agreement among the surveys. Things look positive for settlement for the past two years,” Reardon said.

V-notching rates, as documented in the sea sampling data, were down to an historic low, at 57%. V-notching reached its peak in 2008, when 80% of female lobsters found in traps were notched.

Reardon then presented a series of metrics to show how the Maine lobster fishery has changed over the past 15 years. In 2009 landings were good, approximately 70% of lobster landed came from state waters, and the lobster fleet was diverse in terms of size and location of fishing. In 2016 lobster landings hit a peak, as did the number of commercial licenses in the state. Lobster settlement had dropped but the number of recruits remained strong. The fleet remained diverse and most landings came from inshore.

In 2024 landings were down by 35%, the number of fishing trips made by lobstermen had dropped by 25%, and licenses had declined by 20%. Lobster settlement figures were positive, however the number of recruits had declined. There were fewer smaller boats in the fleet; fishing locations had shifted to deeper water.

In 2025 DMR is expanding and restructuring the sea sampling program. The number of trips per year will increase from 162 trips to 241. Trips between May and November in each zone will increase from three to four and be split equally between state and federal waters. Offshore trips between December and April will be increased from one to three in each NMFS statistical area off the coast. The expansion is largely due to lobstermen’s persistent urging.

In addition, DMR is partnering with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation in Rhode Island to gather ventless trap data offshore. “The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation has a tablet app program [On-Deck Data] that lobstermen use now to directly upload sampling data,” Reardon said. The new three-year program will involve ten boats each year to place ventless traps in working trawls.

Reardon also mentioned ASMFC’s ongoing lobster stock assessment. The preliminary assessment will be sent out for peer review this summer and go to the Commission for approval before the end of the year.

When Reardon finished her presentation, DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher urged lobstermen to pay attention to her comparison of the lobster fishery from 2009 to 2024.

“You might not like the data but this is lobster science at its best. We have the most comprehensive and thorough data [on lobster] than anything else we have in the department,” he said. “Just ask her why if you don’t get it, have a conversation with her. Now’s the time to ask what’s next.”

David Cousens, former MLA president, commented on the low V-notching rate. “Thirty years ago I encouraged everyone from Maine to Cape Cod to V-notch. If we went up to 80% again we wouldn’t be talking about a gauge change. V-notching puts so many eggs in the water, it’s an insurance policy so we aren’t dependent on one year class.”