Abstract
The purpose of this study is to monitor lobster catchability within the FORCE Crown Lease Area (CLA; Figure 1). Lobster catchability is represented as catch per unit effort (CPUE), or catch per trap, which functions as a proxy measure for population density. Surveying prior to TISEC turbine deployment establishes initial data for future comparison. Comparing data collected during TISEC turbine deployment against the initial data assesses the level of impact the technology may have on lobster catchability. This research will also test the assumptions of the initial environmental assessment (EA). The AECOM (2009) report assumes minimal TISEC turbine impacts on lobster populations within the CLA, based on the following prescriptive characteristics:
- Species diversity and population density is low;
- The substrate is scoured bedrock;
- The TISEC turbine and equipment has a small footprint in the area;
- With minimal impact, populations will recover to baseline levels in the short-term (AECOM, 2009).
This study provided opportunity to test sampling methodologies and provided a reference point for comparison of the catchability statistics recorded within the CLA against the general fishery in the Minas Passage, as determined by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO 2014). According to the DFO 2014 report, lobster population density in the broader Minas Passage (outside the CLA) as high, using the following catchability gradients:
- 0 - 0.7 kg CPUE (low) ➢ 0.8 - 1.1 kg CPUE (moderately low)
- 1.2 - 1.7 kg CPUE (moderate)
- 1.8 – 2.3 kg CPUE (moderately high)
- 2.4 – 10.7 kg CPUE (high) (p. 22, Serdynska & Coffen-Smout, 2017)