Conservation Measures, Iles-De-La-Madeleine, a Never Ending Story

The 1990’s saw a rapid increase in lobster landings across Atlantic Canada including the Iles-de-la-Madeleine, LFA-22. Rather than remaining complacent and content to simply observe this natural and possibly cyclical increase, the Iles-de-la-Madeleine Fisherman Association (APPIM) decided to adopt a conservation and sustainability plan spread out over a 15 year period. Quickly establishing itself as a leader in lobster conservation, APPIM used the Fisheries Research Council of Canada report on lobster conservation as its «Tool Box» and worked in close collaboration with both federal (DFO) and provincial (MAPAQ) department of fisheries and mostly with the fishers themselves in developing their strategy. LFA-22’s sustainability plan ended in 2014. Its three main components consisted in increasing egg production through repeated minimum size increments, a reduction in fishing capacity (a decrease in trap size and numbers) and construction of artificial reefs to increase production. The combination of these objectives and the adoption of the required measures were classified a success and APPIM was awarded a «Distinction Award» for conservation by DFO in 2008. The adoption of the sustainability plan was instrumental in APPIM obtaining Marine Stewardship Council certification (MSC) for LFA-22 in 2013.