Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI) – June 19, 2025 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Gulf Region, is announcing the management measures for the rock crab fishery in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA 24) in 2025.
Fishing Season
The fishing season in LFA 24 will open at 6:00 a.m. on June 30, 2025 and will remain open until October 26, 2025.
Management measures in place for the 2025 fishing season
Gear Marking: Gear marking is in place in this fishery. Details of these requirements can be found in your licence conditions and at the following Internet address: Notice to Fish Harvesters: Update to the conditions of licences related to the mandatory colour scheme for gear marking in Eastern Canada.
Management measures to minimize interactions with North Atlantic right whales: The management measures to protect the North Atlantic right whales (NARW) are available at the following Internet address: 2025 fishery management measures.
Biodegradable Panels: The use of modified biodegradables mechanisms on all traps, including modified lobster traps, is mandatory. Please refer to your licence conditions for specifications on these biodegradable mechanisms.
Data entry: The licence holder is responsible to enter into an agreement with a Dockside Monitoring Company for data entry of catch and effort information; a condition to this effect is included in all licences.
Logbooks: Crab Logbooks/landing reports are mandatory and must be completed as stipulated in licence conditions.
Dockside Monitoring Program: All of the catch must be weighed in kilograms at one decimal point on an approved scale.
Number of traps:
- Commercial licences: 150 traps.
- First Nations communal commercial licences: 150 traps.
Catch limitation:
- Commercial licences: 20,000 kg.
- Communal commercial licences: 20,000 kg.
Minimum size: Only male rock crabs, with a minimum carapace width of 102 mm, may be retained.
DFO will continue to apply the exploitation principle that prioritizes the rock crab fishery as follows: by-catch in the lobster fishery, bait for the lobster fishery and then directed rock crab fishery.