This report outlines the results of a project that created a series of maps tracking inshore historical Lobster fishing district boundaries from 1899 to present. This work has been part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Blue Economy Lobster Team (BELT) pilot project on the Lobster fishery. To provide the context for the use of historical information within fisheries research, this report provides a brief summation of the discipline of history, its purpose, and its methods. It also describes the different ways that historical data has been used to support the analysis of fisheries, and some of the ways that historians have integrated the techniques of natural and social sciences into their own work. It provides an overview of how the BELT has incorporated historical methods and methodologies into the team’s overall work. The report presents two sets of maps that outline geographical changes in Lobster fishing districts (called Lobster Fishing Areas after 1985) as well as changes in minimum legal size (MLS) and season length information. These maps help to inform a larger understanding of the historical Lobster fishery in the present-day Maritimes Region, and highlight several themes within the fishery. This includes the increasingly intensive regulation of the fishery over time, the inshore nature of the Lobster fishery for the majority of the twentieth century, the variability in the boundaries of Lobster districts over time, and the broad transition from a cannery-based market to a live Lobster market. The maps taken as a whole help to demonstrate consistency of the regulatory approach to Lobster over the twentieth century. However, there are limitations to the interpretive capacity of these maps, as more work should be done to investigate the specific reasoning behind why each change occurred.**Note: The outer boundaries depicted from 1899-1974 are not meant to represent areas where DFO or its predecessor departments had complete or authoritative control of the inshore fishery. In past regulations, districts were described as “on and along the coast.” The outer boundaries assigned to maps prior to 1985 were chosen to make the maps easy to understand relative to current lobster fishing areas.

The Fishery Operations System (FOS) is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) centralized Oracle database that holds commercial salmon fishery catch, effort and biological data. The FOS database was built in 2001 and continues to be the current repository for all data pertaining to DFO’s Pacific Region Commercial Salmon Logbook program.The Commercial Salmon Logbook program was initiated in 1998 with fleet wide participation made mandatory during the 2001 season. The program requires all commercial salmon fishers to record their daily catch and effort information in a harvest logbook and to subsequently report it to DFO using a service provider within deadlines defined in the conditions of licence. A portion of the information collected from the logbook program contains fisher personal information and is therefore protected and un-releasable. Fishery Managers use the fisher reported catch and effort, in addition to information collected from other sources such as overflights, to calculate in-season catch estimates.NOTES:- This report contains ONLY commercial catch estimates; it DOES NOT include test fishing, recreational or First Nations data.- These figures are preliminary in-season catch estimates and are subject to change.- Consult the applicable Fishery Manager or Biologist as to the status of particular catch estimates- All catch estimates are reported in pieces (numbers of fish).- Catch estimates include adults and jacks combined.----------------------------------------------------------Pacific Fishery Management Areas (PFMAs):https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/areas-secteurs/index-eng.html----------------------------------------------------------DFO Integrated Fisheries Management Plans (IFMP):http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/ifmp-eng.html ----------------------------------------------------------DFO Salmon Catch Statistics and Logbook Reports:http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats//smon/index-eng.htm----------------------------------------------------------Pacific Region Commercial Salmon Fishery Post-Season Catch Estimates, 1996 - 2004:https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/82c7eaa7-7078-4d38-a880-25d53f00c579----------------------------------------------------------

An exploratory fishery was carried out in the Mackenzie River Delta between 1989 and 1993 at the request of the Inuvik Hunters and Trappers Committee to assess the commercial fishery potential in this area. Data collected during this exploratory fishery was used in two technical reports. Broad whitefish were the target species of this fishery (DFO Technical Report 2180), however other species such as northern pike, inconnu, and lake whitefish were also harvested (DFO Technical Report 2330).Biological data from broad whitefish (fork length, age, gonadosomatic index and instantaneous mortality) were analyzed to assess the impact of an exploratory fishery in the Mackenzie River Delta. The data were collected using variable mesh experimental gill nets and commercial harvesters' 139 mm (5.5”) mesh gill nets. The data suggest that the broad whitefish population might be separated, with larger mature spawners gathering in the main channels prior to spawning and smaller, immature or resting fish staying in side channels away from strong currents. From this analysis we conclude that the size and structure of the broad whitefish population(s) found in this area are stable at the current level of total harvest (commercial and subsistence combined) There may be room for increased harvests but to what level is uncertain.Biological data from northern pike, inconnu, and lake whitefish were analyzed to assess the impact of the fishery on population abundance and structure. All three by catch species support subsistence fisheries in the Mackenzie Delta. lnconnu and lake whitefish migrate substantial distances, crossing land claim borders and are likely fished by a variety of user groups. Northern pike, on the other hand tend to be non-migratory with localized populations that are mainly fished by people living in the near vicinity. A concern was that commercial fishing pressure might reduce the numbers of fish available to subsistence users. Based on trends in size and age frequency, age at maturity, sex ratio, growth rates, and mortality rates, we conclude that inconnu and lake whitefish populations in the Mackenzie Delta have remained healthy and stable at the current harvest levels, however northern pike populations showed a decrease in the proportion of older fish, possibly indicating over-fishing of local stocks. lnconnu and lake whitefish may be able to withstand increased harvest, but to what extent is unknown, given that little reliable information is available on subsistence harvest levels in this region. Increasing harvest levels of pike may be risky and we suggest that a reduction of current commercial harvest quotas be considered.

Data layers show commercial fishery footprints for directed fisheries using bottom and pelagic longlines for groundfish and large pelagics respectively, and traps for hagfish, LFA 41 and Grey Zone lobster, snow crab, and other crab on the Scotian Shelf, the Bay of Fundy, and Georges Bank in NAFO Divisions 4VWX and Canadian portions of 5Y and 5Z. Bottom longline and trap fishery maps aggregate commercial logbook effort (bottom longline soak time and logbook entries) per 2-minute grid cell using 2002–2017 data. Pelagic longline maps aggregate speed-filtered vessel monitoring system (VMS) track lines as vessel minutes per km2 on a base-10 log scale using 2003–2018 data. The following data layers are included in the mapping service for use in marine spatial planning and ecological risk assessment: 1) multi-year and quarterly composite data layers for bottom longline and trap gear, and 2) multi-year and monthly composite data layers for pelagic longline gear. Additional details are available online: S. Butler, D. Ibarra and S. Coffen-Smout, 2019. Maritimes Region Longline and Trap Fisheries Footprint Mapping for Marine Spatial Planning and Risk Assessment. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3293: v + 30 p. http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2019/mpo-dfo/Fs97-6-3293-eng.pdf

Coastline segments indicating herring spawing sites along the coastline of British Columbia. Attribute information includes relative importance, spawing frequency and spawn index. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

Fish holding areas (i.e. areas of concentration of salmon and herring, both adult and juvenile) in coastal British Columbia. Attribute information includes overall relative importance, species of salmon and other fish observed at various times throughout the year as well as information on spawning activity and larvae. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

Benthic Marine Ecounits in coastal and offshore British Columbia. Benthic ecounits are intended to describe the sea bed and nearshore. Seven variables were selected to derive benthic ecounits: 1. Depth; 2. Slope; 3. Relief; 4. Temperature; 5. Exposure; 6. Current and 7. Substrate. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

This dataset reports on lobster abundance and individual biological characteristics (size, sex, shell hardness, egg status), along with seabed substrate information, collected at various coastal sites in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Surveys were conducted over a 40-year period between 1982 and 2021. Survey areas and SCUBA dive sites were located around Grand Manan Island, Deer Island, Campobello Island, and along the Bay of Fundy’s New Brunswick shore stretching from Passamaquoddy Bay, east to Maces Bay. One survey area was located on the Bay of Fundy’s southern shore (Nova Scotia) in the Annapolis Basin (Lawton et al. 1995). The data represent a compilation of SCUBA diving surveys (1003 belt transects) conducted directly by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientific SCUBA divers (1982-2019), or by contracted commercial divers funded in association with outside collaborating organizations; Department of Fisheries and Agriculture (DFA; 1990 – 1993), the Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association (GMFA; 2013-2015), and the University of New Brunswick (UNB; 2019-2021).Cite this data as: Lawton P, Dinning K, Rochette R, Teed L. American lobster (Homarus americanus) abundance and biological characteristics collected from SCUBA dive surveys in the Bay of Fundy from 1982-2021. Published August 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B.For additional information please see:Campbell, A. 1990. Aggregations of berried lobsters (Homarus americanus) in shallow waters off Grand Manan, eastern Canada. DFO Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 47: 520-523.Denton, C.M. 2020. Maritimes Region Inshore Lobster Trawl Survey Technical Description. DFO Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3376: v + 52 p.Lawton, P. 1993. Salmon aquaculture and the traditional invertebrate fisheries of the Fundy Isles region: habitat mapping and impact definition: Cooperation Agreement on Fisheries and Aquaculture Development. Submitted by Peter Lawton to the New Brunswick Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 84 p. Unpublished monograph. Available from Fisheries and Oceans Canada Library, Dartmouth, NS (Monographs: SH 380.2 .C2 .L39 1992).https://science-catalogue.canada.ca/record=3943769~S6Lawton, P., Robichaud, D.A., and Moisan, M. 1995. Characteristics of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, lobster fishery in relation to proposed marine aquaculture development. DFO Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2035: iii + 26 p.Lawton, P., Robichaud, D.A., Rangeley, R.W., and Strong, M.B. 2001. American Lobster, Homarus americanus, population characteristics in the lower Bay of Fundy (Lobster Fishing Areas 36 and 38) based on fishery independent sampling. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2001/093.Wentworth, C.K. 1922. A Scale of Grade and Class Terms for Clastic Sediments. The Journal of Geology 30(5): 377-392.Dinning, K.M., Lawton, P., and Rochette, R. 2025. Increased use of mud bottom by juvenile American lobsters (Homarus americanus) in Maces Bay and Seal Cove, Bay of Fundy, after three decades of population increases and predator declines. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences 82; https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2023-0312

PURPOSE:"Biological, relative abundance, and environmental data have been collected from the Yellowknife River Cisco population that can be used to inform fisheries management decision-making. Under the conditions of a commercial licence issued under the New Emerging Fisheries Policy, licence holders are required to record catch and biological information to support the assessment of the feasibility and sustainability of the fishery over time, and potential advancement in the stages of a developing fishery. In addition to the information collected from the commercial harvest (fishery-dependent), a fishery-independent sampling and snorkel survey program was conducted with the objective of collecting additional biological, observational, and environmental data during the fall spawning run.The objective of this report is to compile available data from fishery-dependent and fishery-independent sampling of adfluvial Yellowknife River Cisco during fall, 1998-2020*, specifically by:• Summarizing commercial fishery quotas and reported harvest;• Characterizing population demographics and examining for trends over time;• Summarizing metrics of relative abundance (i.e., catch-per-unit-effort data and snorkel survey observations) and examining for trends over time; and• Determining if there were any associations between relative abundance of Cisco and river discharge and temperature. *A commercial harvest occurred in 1998, although no biological or catch-effort records were located. In addition, in response to concerns about the status of the population, the fishery was put on hold 2006–2009 to allow for a population assessment (no data during that time). DESCRIPTION:Cisco (Coregonus artedi) from the Yellowknife River, Northwest Territories, are an important fishery resource for nearby communities. Biological, catch-effort, and environmental data were collected from the Yellowknife River (Tartan Rapids and Bluefish areas) during their fall spawning run from Great Slave Lake. Data from the commercial harvest (fishery-dependent; 1998–2020) and supplementary monitoring (fishery-independent; 2013–2020) of these adfluvial Cisco were compiled to summarize commercial fishery quotas and reported harvest, characterize population demographics and catch-effort over time, and assess potential associations between relative abundance and seasonal river characteristics. A single commercial fishing licence for Cisco was issued on an annual basis each fall for 1,000 kg from 1998–2002, 2,000 kg from 2004–2005, 1,000 kg from 2010–2018, and 1,500 kg from 2019–2020. Cisco ranged from 102–239 mm fork length, 10.0–139.6 g round weight, and 1 and 9 years of age, with the majority of fish (>99%) being sexually mature. The demographics (length, weight, age) of the spawning population collected from the commercial fishery remained relatively stable between 1999 and 2020. Catch-effort of the commercial fishery varied widely among years without trend, although this was not standardized to the number of individuals/nets used to capture the fish. The biological, catch-effort, and environmental data collected from the Yellowknife River spawning population of Cisco serve as a benchmark for their ongoing assessment and management.

The study involved sampling during a winter subsistence fishery at Brock Lake in November 2003, and a physical, chemical and biological assessment of the lake in July 2004 and July 2005. Data including physical, chemical and biological variables were published as Roux, M.-J., Harwood, L. A., Illasiak, J., Babaluk, J.A., and de Graff, N. 2011. Fishery resources and habitats in a headwater lake of the Brock River, NT, 2003-2005. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2932: viii + 61 p.