The Tagging Project is a collaborative effort between Homarus (non-profit research arm of the Maritime Fishermen's Union (MFU)), the Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association (PEIFA), and the Canadian Lobster Research Network (CLRN) to better understand lobster movement and behaviour in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The project responds directly to concerns from fish harvesters about potential changes to seasonal movements of lobsters and changing catch rates and seeks to provide new insights into migration patterns, habitat use, and how environmental changes may be influencing movement behaviour of lobsters.
Large-scale lobster tagging has not been conducted in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in more than two decades. Building on previous Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) studies from 1980–1997, this renewed effort uses streamer tags and reporting by commercial fish harvesters to track lobster movement of lobsters tagged in Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) 23 and 24. Tag return data will be analyzed to estimate movement distances, identify patterns related to lobster size or sex, and compare findings with historical studies to see how movement rates may have changed over the last 25 years.
Photo Credits: Homarus/MFU and PEIFA
Tagging began in fall 2024 in LFA 23 (in Caraquet and Neguac), where local fishers had reported lower lobster landings and wanted to better understand how lobsters move within the area. Early results revealed interesting movement patterns and sparked interest from other fishing communities.
In 2025, tagging efforts are expanded to include new sites in Petit Rocher, and Val Comeau in New Brunswick, as well as Tignish, Malpeque, Covehead, Naufrage, and North Lake, in Prince Edward Island. These sites were chosen for their strategic locations, particularly near the Baie des Chaleurs and the LFA 23/25 boundary, where fishers have raised questions about seasonal migrations and the overlap of spring and fall fisheries.
Monitoring lobster movement across LFA boundaries and within key fishing grounds will provide science-based information to help fish harvesters and managers adapt to changing ocean conditions.
Photo Credits: Homarus/MFU and PEIFA