Moncton, NB – March 21, 2025 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Gulf Region, announces the 2025 management measures for Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 23, 24, 26A and 26B. Unless indicated otherwise, existing management measures remain in place. Please refer to your lobster licence conditions for further details. Licence conditions should be available on the National Online Licensing System by March 30, 2025.
Management measures and the season dates for LFA 25 will be announced at a later date.
Opening Dates in 2025
Please see the 2025 targeted season dates below:
| Lobster Fishing Area | Season opening dates in 2025 |
|---|---|
| 23 | April 30 - June 30 |
| 24 | April 25 - June 25 |
| 26 A-1 | April 25 - June 25 |
| 26A-2 | April 26 - June 26 |
| 26A-3 | April 22 - June 22 |
| 26 B (South) | April 30 - June 30 |
| 26 B (North) | May 2 - July 2 |
The LFA season will open at 6 AM on the dates indicated in the table above. Season dates are subject to change due to weather, ice, dredging activities or other conditions. In the event of inclement weather, in accordance with departmental directives, the season opening may be delayed, with a corresponding extension of up to four days (one day for one day up to four days), at the industry's request. In LFA 23, there is also flexibility allowing for an opening up to 72 hours prior to the scheduled season opening.
DFO will monitor and assess the situation at the various wharves a few weeks before the scheduled openings. Conference calls will be held in the days leading up to the scheduled opening between DFO and stakeholders to obtain feedback on the situation at various locations in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Mandatory Electronic Logbook (NEW)
As announced on October 17, 2024, the use of an electronic logbook (ELOG) will be mandatory in 2025. This requirement applies to all commercial and commercial communal harvesters fishing lobster in Lobster Fishing Areas 23, 24, 25 and 26. The use of paper logbooks will no longer be accepted.
Harvesters must purchase and use an ELOG application approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO): Qualified electronic logbooks (ELOG) client applications.
The following reporting requirements which were previously reported through alternate forms must now be reported through the ELOG application:
- Interactions with a marine mammal (bycatch, collision and sightings of marine mammals entangled in fishing gear), and
- Interaction with a species at risk
Reports of lost gear or retrieved gear must be submitted to DFO by completing the section reserved for that purpose in the ELOG or by using the Fishing Gear Reporting System available online at: Fishing Gear Reporting System. However,
- if gear is declared lost after closure of the ELOG, it must be reported by using the Fishing Gear Reporting System available online.
- if previously lost gear is retrieved after closure of the ELOG, it must be reported by using the Fishing Gear Reporting System available online.
More information on ELOGs is available at the following links:
- Electronic logbooks (ELOGS)
- Mandatory Electronic Logbooks (ELOGs) in 2025 for the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Snow Crab and Lobster Fisheries
For any additional questions regarding the National ELOG program, please contact DFO at 1-877-535-7307 from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 21:00 (Atlantic Standard Time) excluding holidays.
Experimental pilot project - retention of striped bass bycatch in lobster fisheries
Please note that the small-scale experimental pilot project from last year, allowing striped bass bycatch retention in LFA 25's lobster fishery, will be extended to LFAs 23, 24, 26A, and 26B in 2025. This will enable the department to collect a wider range of data on the prevalence, distribution, condition and composition of striped bass in the lobster fisheries. DFO will work in collaboration with associations and interested Indigenous groups on the implementation of this pilot project.
LFA 23D - Change in the minimum legal carapace size and dockside monitoring (NEW)
Starting in 2025, the minimum legal carapace size will be reduced from 81 mm to 79 mm in LFA 23D only. This temporary measure will be maintained for a period of three years. In addition, a pilot project will be implemented to monitor a portion of all lobster landings and will be subject to dockside monitoring. Details will be published in another notice to fishers.
Management measures to minimize interactions with North Atlantic Right Whales
The 2025 fisheries management measures to protect NARW are posted online at the following link: Fishery notices related to North Atlantic right whales.
| Lobster Fishing Area | Minimum legal carapace size (mm)1 | Window size for females (mm)2 | Maximum number of traps | Minimum number of traps per line3 | Maximum hoop size (mm) | Minimum size (mm) of escape mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23A | 81 | 115-129 | 300 | n/a | 152 | 46 x 1275 |
| 23B | 81 | 115-129 | 300 | n/a | 152 | 46 x 1275 |
| 23C | 81 | 115-129 | 300 | 3 traps6 | 152 | 46 x 1275 |
| 23D | 79* | 115-129 | 300 | 3 traps6 | 152 | 44 x 127 or 43 x 254 |
| 24 | 75 | 115-129 | 300 | 6 traps | n/a | 43 x 127 or 42 x 254 |
| 26A-1 (PEI) | 76 | 115-129 | 272 | 6 traps6 | n/a | 43 x 127 or 42 x 254 |
| 26A-1 (Gulf NS) | 76 | 115-129 | 280 | 5 traps | n/a | 43 x 127 or 42 x 254 |
| 26A-2 | 78 | 115-129 | 255 and 2753 | 6 traps | 152 | 44 x 127 or 43 x 254 |
| 26A-3 | 81 | 115-129 | 250 | 2 traps | n/a | 46 x 1275 |
| 26B South | 82.5 | n/a | 250 | n/a | n/a | 47 x 1275 |
| 26B North4 | 83.5 | n/a | 250 | 5 traps | 152 | 48 x 1275 |
Notes:
- 1As defined by licence conditions (female Lobster of a length of 115 mm but not more than 129 mm shall be returned to the water immediately in a manner that causes it the least harm).
- 2As defined by licence conditions.
- 3Commercial licence holders: 255 traps/Some Communal Commercial licence holders: 275 traps.
- 4Closure to fishing of Cheticamp Harbour.
- 5Please note that only the minimum height of the escape mechanism will be specified (Table 1) from now on if it
remains consistent regardless of length of the mechanism. As an example, a height of 46 mm X 127 mm will only
be specified, even if this 46 mm height applies to lengths greater than 254 mm. - 6In a portion of the LFA.
- *Temporary measure with a return to 81 mm after a 3-year period, in 2028.
LFA 26B North
The multi-year management plan as announced in 2024 will continue as follows:
- 2026: Minimum carapace size increase to 84 mm and maximum hoop size of 152 mm is removed as a restriction in the Conditions of Licence
Bait
Since 2024, the minimum carapace size of rock crab that is permitted to be used as bait in LFA 26 A (including A1, A2, and A3) is 108 mm.
Restrictions on the reissuance of lobster licences
For information on restriction on the movement of lobster licences , please refer to the Commercial Fisheries Licensing Policy for Gulf Region that can be found at the following link: Commercial Fisheries Licensing Policy for the Gulf Region.
Daily closed time
The daily close time is from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. in LFA 23.
Transit Corridors
The transit corridors remain in effect, and a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) is required (every 5 minutes) if using the transit corridor. The corridor allows fish harvesters to transport their catches through that area to reach their homeport avoiding the use of the smack boat. For this reason, a validity period is added to LFA 23D licences conditions from the date of issuance to June 30. The opening and closing of the season will remain as indicated in the Fisheries Regulations or as announced in a Variation Order. The coordinates for the corridor are identified in the Variation Order and the licence conditions of those using the corridor.
Before you go fishing
The Department has assembled a list of requirements and documents harvesters will need before they start fishing. This list is available at: Before you start fishing, you will need....