Gulf of Maine lobster fishery

Assessments

The MSC Fisheries Standard is used to assess if a fishery is well-managed and sustainable. More about how the standard is used, what is assessed and the process.

Interested in contributing as a stakeholder? See how you can engage with a fishery assessment.

• Recently uploaded documents

  Documents	Published On	Files
  Certificate withdrawn	23 Jan 2023	1 files
  Final draft report and determination	22 Nov 2022	1 files
  Surveillance report	22 Nov 2022	1 files
  Surveillance report	22 Nov 2022	1 files
  Expedited audit report	15 Nov 2022	1 files
  Notice of Intent to suspend	15 Nov 2022	1 files
  Announcement expedited audit	16 Sep 2022	1 files

• General Fishery Documents

  Document Title	File Type	Published On
  Certificate withdrawn	PDF (111.42 Kb)	23 Jan 2023
  List of client group members	PDF (78.49 Kb)	13 Sep 2022
  Variation Response	PDF (120.15 Kb)	31 Aug 2022
  Variation Request	PDF (268.50 Kb)	18 Aug 2022
  Variation Response	PDF (177.29 Kb)	30 Jun 2022
  Variation Request	PDF (178.22 Kb)	29 Jun 2022
  Variation Response	PDF (174.61 Kb)	01 Jun 2022
  Variation Request	PDF (205.33 Kb)	25 May 2022
  Variation Response	PDF (125.54 Kb)	24 May 2022
  Variation Request	PDF (195.88 Kb)	20 May 2022
  Stakeholder Announcement: Gulf of Maine lobster suspension lifted	PDF (193.98 Kb)	01 Oct 2021
  Variation Response	PDF (208.02 Kb)	13 Sep 2021
  Variation Request	PDF (177.54 Kb)	08 Sep 2021
  List of client group members	PDF (148.99 Kb)	27 Nov 2019
  List of client group members	PDF (439.66 Kb)	01 Sep 2017

• Re-Assessment (started 2021)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Final Draft Report and determination

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Final draft report and determination	22 Nov 2022	1 files
  Final draft report and determination announcement	03 Jun 2022	1 files

  There was an objection accepted to the final report and determination for this fishery.
  The Independent Adjudicator’s final decision is included in the Public Certification Report.
  Please email standards@msc.org to request the documents related to this objection.

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  Public Comment Draft Report

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Public comment draft report announcement	19 Apr 2022	1 files
  Public comment draft report	18 Apr 2022	1 files
  Stakeholder input (PCDR)	20 May 2022	3 files

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  Peer review

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Proposed peer reviewers	23 Feb 2022	1 files

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  Announcement Comment Draft Report and stakeholder input

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Announcement Comment Draft Report	17 Nov 2021	1 files
  Stakeholder input (ACDR)	17 Dec 2021	3 files

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  Fishery announcement

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Fishery announcement template	17 Nov 2021	1 files

  Other Documents	Published on	Files
  Stakeholder Announcement: Assessment Team Change - Additional Team Member	09 Dec 2021	1 files

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  Timeline Documents

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Assessment timeline	16 Nov 2021	1 files

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• Expedited Audit (started 2022)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Expedited audit

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Announcement expedited audit	16 Sep 2022	1 files
  Expedited audit report	15 Nov 2022	1 files

  Other Documents	Published on	Files
  Notice of Intent to suspend	15 Nov 2022	1 files

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• Initial Assessment (started 2014)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Public certification report and certificate issue

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Public certification report	13 Dec 2016	1 files
  Public certification announcement	13 Dec 2016	1 files

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  Final assessment report and determination

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Final report and determination	10 Nov 2016	1 files
  Final report and determination announcement	10 Nov 2016	1 files

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  Public review of the draft assessment report

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Public comment draft report	30 Aug 2016	1 files
  Public comment draft report announcement	30 Aug 2016	1 files

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  Client and peer review

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Proposed peer reviewers	07 Apr 2016	1 files

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  Information gathering, stakeholder meetings and scoring

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Site visit announcement	18 Sep 2014	1 files

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  Defining the assessment tree

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Assessment tree announcement	18 Sep 2014	1 files

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  Fishery announcement, stakeholder identification and assessment team formation

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Proposed assessment team	02 Sep 2014	1 files
  Stakeholder announcement	29 Aug 2014	1 files
  Confirmation of assessment team	15 Sep 2014	1 files

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  Timeline Documents

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Fishery announcement, stakeholder identification and assessment team formation	02 Sep 2014	1 files

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• Surveillance Audit (started 2021)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Ongoing surveillance

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Surveillance audit announcement	17 Nov 2021	1 files
  Surveillance report	22 Nov 2022	1 files

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• Surveillance Audit (started 2021)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Ongoing surveillance

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Surveillance audit announcement	24 Feb 2021	1 files
  Surveillance report	22 Nov 2022	1 files

  Other Documents	Published on	Files
  Other document: Surveillance audit reporting timeline	27 Aug 2021	1 files
  Stakeholder Announcement: 2nd Variation Request to Extend Report Deadline Approved	27 Aug 2021	1 files
  Stakeholder Announcement: VR Approval - Surveillance Report Deadline Extended	26 May 2021	1 files
  Variation Request	08 Sep 2021	1 files
  Variation Response	13 Sep 2021	1 files

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• Expedited Audit (started 2021)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Expedited audit

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Announcement expedited audit	24 Feb 2021	1 files

  Other Documents	Published on	Files
  Stakeholder Announcement: Expedited audit stopped	21 May 2021	1 files

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• Expedited Audit (started 2020)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Expedited audit

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Announcement expedited audit	27 May 2020	1 files
  Expedited audit report	01 Aug 2020	1 files

  Other Documents	Published on	Files
  Notice of Intent to suspend	01 Aug 2020	1 files
  Other document: Client Action Plan and Letter of Acceptance	26 Jan 2021	2 files
  Stakeholder Announcement: Audit report deadline extended	27 Jul 2020	1 files
  Stakeholder Announcement: Variation request approval	02 Nov 2020	1 files
  Variation Request	26 Oct 2020	1 files
  Variation Response	30 Oct 2020	1 files

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• Surveillance Audit (started 2019)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Ongoing surveillance

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Surveillance audit announcement	23 Apr 2019	1 files
  Surveillance report	17 Apr 2020	1 files

  Other Documents	Published on	Files
  Certificate Holder Forced and Child Labour Policies, Practices and Measures Template	29 Jul 2019	1 files
  Variation Request	22 Jul 2019	1 files
  Variation Response	23 Jul 2019	1 files

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• Surveillance Audit (started 2018)

  • Units of Certification

    MSC UoC Number	Species	Gear type	Ocean Area
    UoC-1144	American lobster (Homarus americanus)	Traps - Pots	21 (Atlantic, Northwest)

  Ongoing surveillance

  Documents	Published on	Files
  Surveillance audit announcement	23 Feb 2018	1 files
  Surveillance report	27 Jun 2018	1 files

  Other Documents	Published on	Files
  Variation Request	04 May 2018	1 files
  Variation Response	10 May 2018	1 files

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