Fisheries
In Canada, about 10,000 licensed harvesters take part in 45 lobster fisheries (43 inshore with small-boat harvesters, one offshore and one closed to lobster fishing as a conservation measure (area 40)). Lobster fishing is most active in the Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and coastal Nova Scotia. Lobsters are caught in baited traps placed on the bottom of the sea. Most fisheries take place in shallow waters less than 40 metres deep and within 15 km of shore, although some fisheries (areas 34-38) will fish much farther out and in waters up to 200 metres deep.
There is one Enterprise Allocation offshore lobster licence (area 41), which takes place in the deep basins and outer banks off southwestern Nova Scotia. The offshore lobster fishery season is year round, with a 720-tonne quota and the harvesters are not permitted to fish closer than 92 km from shore. This offshore fishery received eco-certification as a sustainable and well-managed fishery from the Marine Stewardship Council in June 2010.