Lobster resource enhancement in Atlantic Canada: The Homarus Inc. experience

Lobster resource enhancement in Atlantic Canada: The Homarus Inc.

experience

By

Martin Mallet, Homarus Inc.Dounia Daoud, Homarus Inc.

Rémy Haché, CZRI-IRZCMichel Comeau, DFO-MPO

Introduction

• Lobster industry Canada’s most lucrative fishery

$495 million dollar industry56,554 tons landed in 2009

• However, in reaction to decreasing lobster landings in some areas of the sGSL (2000-01)

• MFU fishermen got interested in lobster enhancement

Introduction

• Homarus Inc.– Non-profit R & D company– MFU initiative/managed (grassroots movement)– Public and private sector partners (Board)

• Maritime Fishermen’s Union• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture

New Brunswick (DAFA)• Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)• Orion Seafood• Blanchard Group• Eel River Bar First Nation

Introduction

• Mission statement:

• Develop practical approaches for lobster resource enhancement/sustainability;

• Increase scientific knowledge of lobster biology, coastal

habitat structure and ecosystem processes;

• Serve as an educational tool to stakeholders.

Homarus Inc.

• Research projects :– Hatchery and seeding (CZRI and others) – Artificial reefs (DFO, Blanchard Group) – Larval eco-toxicity (DFO, EC)– Lobster eco-physiology (DFO, UdeM)

• Services:– Seeding programs (0,25$/larvae)– Artificial reef installation and monitoring– Lobster abundance monitoring (SCUBA)

…coming soon….– Lobster hatchery design and

implementation (Homarus/CZRI)

Experimental hatcheryand seeding project

• Inspired by Maine hatcheries (2001)• Hatchery and seeding was not a new concept

- Hatcheries existed in the late 1800’s- Eventually closed - persistent lack of scientific proof

• Homarus initiative- Cautious approach backed by science- Necessary to prove cost-effectiveness of lobster seeding

- Low production cost- Stage IV survival in the wild

• Hatchery project– Produce stage IV larvae for seeding experiments

(extra production for seeding program)– Develop cost-effective hatchery technology

• Seeding project– Evaluate effect of stage IV seeding on natural

population (DFO collaboration – M. Comeau)– Initiate seeding programs with interested fishing

communities

Experimental hatcheryand seeding objectives

Hatchery projectWhy Stage IV for seeding?

• 1st benthic stage – bypass pelagic stages• Short life cycle in hatchery (12-14 days)• Most cost effective stage for seeding

• Development of rearing technology (CZRI/Homarus) (Since 2002)

– Tank design (flow-through…for now)– Optimal parameters

(ex: temp., light, feeding regime, etc.) – Alternative feeds to live Artemia

• Larvae quality work (CZRI/Homarus)– Behaviour (UdeM) – Since 2005

– Health monitoring program (AVCLSC) – Since 2008

– Probiotics (RPC) – Since 2009

– Lobster specific feed (CZRI/UMCS) – Since 2008

Hatchery projectR&D (2002-now)

YearYear Total costTotal cost Stage IVStage IV $/larvae$/larvae

20022002 50K 50K 1 500 1 500 33.33 33.33

20032003 100K 100K 3 500 3 500 28.57 28.57

20042004 100K 100K 60 000 60 000 1.67 1.67

20052005 120K 120K 87 000 87 000 1.38 1.38

20062006 200K 200K 220 000 220 000 0.91 0.91

2007 *2007 * 75K 75K 100 000 100 000 0.75 0.75

20082008 150K 150K 306 000 306 000 0.49 0.49

20092009 135K 135K 337 000 337 000 0.400.40 * Lower production and costs due to reduced work space* Lower production and costs due to reduced work space

** Commercial hatchery production objective** Commercial hatchery production objective----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

200? **200? ** 250K 250K 1 000 0001 000 000 0.25 0.25

Hatchery projectProduction and costs

(costs include facilities, labour, feed, electricity and seeding)

Seeding Sites

Seeding

Conclusion

• Production of low-cost stage IV is feasable : ≤ 0,25 $

• Survival of seeded stage IV in the wild is very good (if larvae are raised and seeded properly) – comparable to natural larvae (M. Comeau)

• Cost-benefit analysis (M. Lebreton)– Good return on investment

Next step…

• Development of a commercial scale hatchery prototype

– Current installations are for research (200-400k production capacity) and not meeting industry demand (orders over 700k)

– Production objective : 1 million lobsters/year (Minimum)

– Technology development will be ready for move in this direction after this Summer

Next step…

• Pursue development of research collaborations with other research institutions

• Continue building ties and collaborations with fishermen communities

Industry partners

Blanchard GroupEast Coast Seafood

Gulf of Nova Scotia Fishermen’s CoalitionMaritime Fishermen's Union (MFU)

Orion Seafood International

Governmental partners

Environment Canada (EC)Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)

National Research Counsil of Canada (NRC) National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

New Brunswick Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DAFA)

Institutional partners

Atlantic Lobster Sustainability Foundation (ALSF)AVC Lobster Science Center (AVCLSC)Coastal Zones Research Institute (CZRI)

EcoTec ConsultantsEel River Bar First Nation

Research and Productivity Council (RPC)Université de Moncton (U de M)

www.homarus.org

Martin MalletDirector

Homarus Inc.Shediac, New [email protected]

www.homarus.org

Michel Comeau Head, Lobster Section

Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Gulf Region, Moncton, New Brunswick

[email protected]

QuestionsDounia DaoudResearch coordinator

Homarus Inc.Shediac, New [email protected]

www.homarus.org

Rémy HachéProject Leader - Lobster

Aquaculture Coastal Zones Research Institute

Shippagan, New [email protected]

www.irzc.umcs.ca

Stage IV survivalM. Comeau – DFO/MPO

• Not possible to effectively tag stage IV larvae.

• Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) according to Underwood 1991, 1992, 1994.

• Underwood (1992): an impact can be detected for a short-term (pulse) or a long-term (press) by different patterns of significance in the temporal interactions between times of sampling (from Before to After it starts) and locations (between the Impact and Control locations).

Stage IV survivalBefore-After-Control-Impact

• Treatment: - seeding of 53 thousand larvae in 2004 on

Impact site- X2 control sites (one near: 200-500 m)

• Sampling by SCUBA (100 m transects)• H0: A significant difference in the pattern

of mean abundance (statistical interaction) for:

1-yr old in 2005,2-yr old in 2006.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Control West Control Near Impact

Pulse effect (2006)Period x Impact: P = 0.0028T(after) x Impact: P = 0.0167

Press effect (2005-2006)Period x Impact:P = 0.0017

Den

sity

lob

ster

per

100

m2

Stage IV Survival - 2-year old

M. Comeau – DFO

• The release of 53,000 stage IV in 2004 (4.0/100 m2) significantly influenced the 2005 1-yr density (pulse effect)- indicative of a good survival over the 1st winter at

temperature of -1.5°C for 4 months.

• The release of stage IV in 2004 significantly influenced the 2005 ( press effect; 2-yr density) and 2006 2-yr density (a 2-yr pulse effect).

• Results suggest that the enhancement effect is very localized since the control near a few hundred meters (200-500 m) from the release sites were not (significantly) influenced by the stage IV release.

Stage IV survivalResults summary

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Impact Control Near Control West

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Impact Control Near Control West I2

Stage IV Survival – BACI Examples

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008



Den

sity

lob

ster

per

100

m2


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Control West Control Near Impact


Press effect (2005-2006)Period x Impact:P = 0.0017

Den

sity

lob

ster

per

100

m2


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009


No Press effect orPulse effect (ns)

Den

sity

lob

ster

per

100

m2


Each seeded larvae (at a cost of $0.25), generates revenues of between:

- $0.81 - $1.95 for fishermen, - $1.86 - $2.98 for the economy (GDP)- $0.48 - $0.52 for governments (tax revenues).

Good governance, excellent rearing and seeding techniques and good survival rates result in a good return on investment for harvesters.

Conclusion

Documents

Lobster resource enhancement in Atlantic Canada: The Homarus Inc. experience