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

1. 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

2. 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 (2000-01) • MFU fishermen got interested in lobster enhancement

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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)

6. 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

7. Experimental hatcheryand seeding objectives • 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

8. 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

9. Hatchery projectR&D (2002-now) • 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

10. Hatchery projectProduction and costs (costs include facilities, labour, feed, electricity and seeding) YearTotal costStage IV$/larvae 2002 50K 1 500 33.33 2003 100K 3 500 28.57 2004 100K 60 000 1.67 2005 120K 87 000 1.38 2006 200K 220 000 0.91 2007 * 75K 100 000 0.75 2008 150K 306 000 0.49 2009 135K 337 000 0.40 * Lower production and costs due to reduced work space ** Commercial hatchery production objective -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 200? ** 250K 1 000 000 0.25

11. Seeding Sites

12. Seeding

13. 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

14. 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

15. Next step… Pursue development of research collaborations with other research institutions Continue building ties and collaborations with fishermen communities

16. 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) www.homarus.org

17. Questions Martin MalletDirectorHomarus Inc.Shediac, New Brunswickmartin@mfu-upm.comwww.homarus.orgMichel Comeau Head, Lobster SectionDepartment of Fisheries and OceansGulf Region, Moncton, New Brunswickmichel.comeau@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Dounia Daoud Research coordinatorHomarus Inc.Shediac, New Brunswick dounia@mfu-upm.comwww.homarus.orgRémy HachéProject Leader - Lobster Aquaculture Coastal Zones Research Institute Shippagan, New Brunswick remy.hache@umcs.ca www.irzc.umcs.ca

18. 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, 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).

19. 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.

20. Stage IV Survival - 2-year old Pulse effect (2006) Period x Impact: P = 0.0028 T(after) x Impact: P = 0.0167 Density lobster per 100 m2 Press effect (2005-2006) Period x Impact: P = 0.0017 M. Comeau – DFO

21. Stage IV survivalResults summary • 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.

22. Stage IV Survival – BACI Examples

23. Stage IV Survival - 1-year old Pulse effect (2005) Period x Impact: P = 0.0037 T(after) x Impact: P = 0.0052 Density lobster per 100 m2

24. Stage IV Survival - 2-year old Pulse effect (2006) Period x Impact: P = 0.0028 T(after) x Impact: P = 0.0167 Density lobster per 100 m2 Press effect (2005-2006) Period x Impact: P = 0.0017

25. Stage IV Survival - 3-year old No Press effect or Pulse effect (ns) Density lobster per 100 m2

26. Conclusion • 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.