The Electronic Logbook: A Modern Technology in Support of a Sustainable Lobster Fishery

The entire Gaspé lobster fleet (170 licenses) is using an electronic logbook solution (DFO E-log) since 2012. The interface designed with fishermen’s reality in mind is simple, yet it allows to record lots of information on the lobster fishery, from daily catch and fishing effort to weather conditions. These data are reported to managers and scientists of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, directly from fishers at sea, using the cell phone network. This modern tool also answers the industry needs for data on captured bycatch, bait used and traceability, these all being important to support the development of an ecocertified sustainable lobster fishery. Additionally, a module developed for scientific purposes allows entering data (sex, carapace length, type of traps, etc.) specifically related to a project that evaluates the status of the lobster stocks. The software is still in its infancy but it has a very promising future in the sustainable development of the Southern Gaspé lobster fishery, and also for other fisheries such as crab, herring or mackerel.