Indicators for Success: Influence of Protected Status on the Growth Rate of American Lobster (Homarus americanus) from the Eastport Marine Protected Area in Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland

Growth rates are a useful indicator of the health of a population in fisheries management and are critical in evaluating optimal legal harvesting size. A mark recapture program has been ongoing in the marine protected area (MPA) in Eastport, Newfoundland since 1997. Data from this program have been used to inform management practices for the American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery. These data have been collected in partnership with lobster harvesters in the fall of each year within the Eastport MPA as well as surrounding waters (~ 30 km). We focused on the carapace lengths of recaptured tagged individuals over 16 years (1997-2012) to evaluate the influence of protected area status on growth rate. The observed differences in growth rates between the MPA and surrounding waters is a useful indicator of the benefit that protected areas provide for lobster populations. These results will be discussed in the context of lobster management, with emphasis on the efficacy of protected areas as conservation tools for sustainable fisheries.