Lobster resource enhancement in Atlantic Canada: The Homarus Inc. experience By Martin Mallet, Homarus Inc. Dounia Daoud, Homarus Inc. Rémy Haché, CZRI-IRZC Michel Comeau, DFO-MPO

Introduction Lobster industry Canada’s most lucrative fishery $495 million dollar industry 56,554 tons landed in 2009 However, in reaction to decreasing lobster landings in some areas of the sGSL ( ) 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 hatchery and 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 hatchery and seeding objectives

Hatchery project Why Stage IV for seeding? 1 st 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 project R&D (2002-now)

YearTotal cost Stage IV$/larvae K K K K K * 75K K K * Lower production and costs due to reduced work space * Lower production and costs due to reduced work space ** Commercial hatchery production objective ? ** 250K Hatchery project Production 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 ( k 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 Group East Coast Seafood Gulf of Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Coalition Maritime 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 Consultants Eel River Bar First Nation Research and Productivity Council (RPC) Université de Moncton (U de M)

Martin Mallet Director Homarus Inc. Shediac, New Brunswick Michel Comeau Head, Lobster Section Department of Fisheries and Oceans Gulf Region, Moncton, New Brunswick Questions Dounia Daoud Research coordinator Homarus Inc. Shediac, New Brunswick Rémy Haché Project Leader - Lobster Aquaculture Coastal Zones Research Institute Shippagan, New Brunswick

Stage IV survival M. Comeau – DFO/MPO Not possible to effectively tag stage IV larvae. Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) according to Underwood 1991, 1992, 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 survival Before-After-Control-Impact Treatment: - seeding of 53 thousand larvae in 2004 on Impact site - X2 control sites (one near: m) Sampling by SCUBA (100 m transects) H 0 : A significant difference in the pattern of mean abundance (statistical interaction) for: 1-yr old in 2005, 2-yr old in 2006.

Pulse effect (2006) Period x Impact: P = T(after) x Impact: P = Press effect ( ) Period x Impact: P = Density lobster per 100 m 2 Stage IV Survival - 2-year old M. Comeau – DFO

The release of 53,000 stage IV in 2004 (4.0/100 m 2 ) significantly influenced the yr density (pulse effect) -indicative of a good survival over the 1 st 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 yr density (a 2-yr pulse effect). Results suggest that the enhancement effect is very localized since the control near a few hundred meters ( m) from the release sites were not (significantly) influenced by the stage IV release. Stage IV survival Results summary

Stage IV Survival – BACI Examples

Pulse effect (2005) Period x Impact: P = T(after) x Impact: P = Density lobster per 100 m 2 Stage IV Survival - 1-year old

Pulse effect (2006) Period x Impact: P = T(after) x Impact: P = Press effect ( ) Period x Impact: P = Density lobster per 100 m 2 Stage IV Survival - 2-year old

No Press effect or Pulse effect (ns) Density lobster per 100 m 2 Stage IV Survival - 3-year old

 Each seeded larvae (at a cost of $0.25), generates revenues of between: -$ $1.95 for fishermen, -$ $2.98 for the economy (GDP) -$ $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