The Southwest Lobster Science Society’s (SWLSS) at-sea bycatch monitoring program is an industry-led initiative that provides an opportunity for fishermen to demonstrate strength in numbers and be stewards of their own fishery.
Data is one of the most valuable commodities in the world and is used to make decisions for most industries today. SWLSS prides itself in collecting high quality data for the lobster fishing industry because the best decisions for the industry can be made with consistent, reliable, high quality data.
Click on the link below to register with SWLSS or to renew your registration for the 2026-2027 season (LFAs 33, 34 & 35).
BYCATCH DATA COLLECTION
Good science starts with good data, and good data helps protect the future of the lobster fishery and our communities that depend on it.
At SWLSS, we care deeply about the health and long term viability of lobsters, the shared resource that is the lifeblood of our local economies. The data we collect is used by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to track changes to the resource over time in support of lobster stock assessments and fishery management decisions.
For example, our data contributed evidence that supported the approval of Jonah Crab as bait in LFA 33 and for maintaining the continued use of Cod as lobster bait in the lobster fishery. This data is also important for retaining the industry’s Marine Stewardship Council sustainable certification and maintaining important market access.
WE GET THE JOB DONE
We take our work very seriously; the numbers speak for themselves. Over 1600 successful at-sea sampling trips, over 121,000 traps and 470,000 animals sampled.
THE PROOF IS IN THE NUMBERS
SWLSS TRIP INFO
SWLSS SAMPLE INFO
We also conduct lobster tagging to support research on lobster movement and growth, collect water temperature data to help study changing ocean conditions, and we have contributed to research on lobster molt quality.
We have also supported ghost gear retrieval efforts and contributed to the Canadian Lobster Research Network and its lobster sustainability research projects.
Collecting reliable information year after year helps scientists understand how our ocean and fishery are changing.
OUR WORK GOES BEYOND BYCATCH DATA
