American Lobster Commercial Catch Data from the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Biological sampling data for the American lobster (Homarus americanus) collected by Fisheries and Oceans Canada from commercial catches in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The dataset includes metadata, sample weight, cephalothorax length, sex, and specimen count, covering the period from 1998 and 2000 to the present.

Use Cases

• Analyze cephalothorax length distributions by sex and year to assess population structure changes over time.
• Model lobster sample weight as a function of cephalothorax length and sex to develop biomass estimation tools.
• Track annual specimen count trends within specific fishing areas to inform stock assessment and fisheries management.

Strengths

• Temporal coverage spans from 1998 and 2000 to the present, providing a long-term time series.
• Data collection is performed by specialized DFO staff, ensuring standardized biological sampling.
• Includes key biological variables such as cephalothorax length, sex, and sample weight for demographic analysis.

Limitations

• Confidentiality protections have simplified capture dates and excluded vessel information, reducing granularity.
• Data entries were excluded if only one vessel operated in a fishing area for a year, potentially creating gaps.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Quebec region.

Collection Method

Collected at wharf or at sea by DFO staff as part of the commercial catches sampling program.

Time Range

1998 and 2000 to present.

Freshness

Data is updated regularly, with the record last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.