Over 589,269 pounds of v-notched female lobsters have been released in lobster fishing areas (LFAs) 31B and 32 since a v-notch conservation program was started in 2000 by the Eastern Shore Fishermen’s Protection Association (ESFPA).
“Many fishermen firmly believe the v-notching has contributed positively to their fishery. They see all year classes of various sizes present annually in their catch. The origin of the program was to benefit egg production. The stock status of lobster in LFAs 31B and 32 remain well into the healthy zone,” said ESFPA president Lloyd Robicheau.
The Fishermen and Scientists Research Society (FSRS) works with the ESFPA collecting data for the program, compiling an annual report that calculates the approximate number of eggs released back into the water from the female lobsters being returned to the water.
“For the v-notching program on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, FSRS technicians must verify specific information about the female lobsters before they are released. While conducting v-notch appointments, FSRS technicians record the weight and number of large female lobsters released. The technicians also ensure the lobsters returned are in good health to maximize the benefits of the program,” said Shannon Tibbett, FSRS operations director.
During the 2025 LFA 31B and 32 lobster seasons, 51 appointments were booked for the FSRS technicians, which included 160 fishers, said Tibbett.
“During these sampling trips, FSRS also records data on environmental conditions, bait used, and number of traps hauled. This helps to provide information for catch per unit effort analysis on specific species, such as lobster. In addition to at-sea sampling, FSRS technicians also conduct plant samples to measure the size of lobsters caught. This provides data on size ranges in a given region,” said Tibbett.
“Each fisherman returns a specific amount of lobsters, depending on the type of licence they fish. The positive results of the v-notching program can only be achieved through the cooperation between science and industry personnel, and the direct involvement of fishermen in the science. Thus far, the program has been successful through the collaboration of technicians, scientists and fishermen,” said Tibbett.
Robicheau said the annual report is shared with membership to show their contributions to the program and efforts to conservation.
Under the program, v-notching is only conducted on non-berried females over 110mm carapace size in good condition, said Robicheau.
“Fishermen are catching a lot of old notches that are growing out and many fishermen also voluntarily re-notch those old notches and mutilated flippers of females over the 110mm size,” he said.
LFAs 31B and 32 are the only LFAs in the Scotia Fundy Region where v-notching is a requirement of license conditions. V-notching is voluntary in the other LFAs.
The v-notch conservation program was started in response to DFO announcing that it was going to change the minimum legal size of lobsters. During the season, LFA 31B and 32 fishermen keep a detailed log of any v-notched lobsters they catch in their traps.
