American Lobster
American Lobster
Homarus americanus
Quick Facts
American lobster. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
American lobster. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
About the Species
The American Lobster fishery occurs from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. There are seven Lobster Conservation Management Areas (Areas), which are labeled as Area 1, Area 2, Area 3, Area 4, Area 5, Area 6, and Outer Cape Cod Area. The American lobster resource and fishery are cooperatively managed by the states and the NOAA Fisheries under the framework of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The lobster fishery predominantly uses pots and traps, but other gear may include gillnets, trawls, and by hand by divers. The market for lobster is for human consumption and is primarily sold live or frozen. U.S. wild-caught American lobster is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations. Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 697 Subparts A & B.
Population
The Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank stock is not overfished. The Southern New England stock is overfished, but management measures are in place to promote population growth.
Fishing Rate
Not subject to overfishing.
Habitat Impact
Fishing gears used to harvest American lobster have minimal impacts on habitat.
Bycatch
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
Population Status
- According to the 2020 stock assessment conducted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), there is record high stock abundance in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, and record low abundance and continued recruitment failures in Southern New England. The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank stock is not overfished. However, the ASMFC considers the Southern New England stock severely depleted due to environmental factors and fishing pressure. Neither stock is subject to overfishing.
- There is near record high stock abundance in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. However, since 2012, Young of Year surveys in the Gulf of Maine and George’s Bank stock have shown consistent declines, which could indicate future declines in recruitment and landings.
Appearance
- American lobster is a crustacean with a large shrimp-like body and 10 legs, two of which are large, strong claws.
- One claw is a big-toothed crusher claw for pulverizing shells, and the other is a finer-edged ripper claw, resembling a steak knife, for tearing soft flesh.
- Male and female lobsters can be distinguished by the first pair of swimmerets (pleopods) on the upper portion of the underside of the tail. The male swimmerets are larger and more rigid. The female swimmerets are softer, smaller, and have rounded edges.
- Live lobsters are not red like those you see in a restaurant or grocery store, after they have been cooked. Most are either olive-green or greenish-brown. Some have orange, reddish, dark green, or black speckles and bluish colors in the joints of their appendages.
Biology
- American lobsters have a long life span. It’s difficult to determine their exact age because they shed their hard shell when they molt, leaving no evidence of age. But scientists believe some American lobsters may live to be 100 years old.
- They can weigh up to 44 pounds.
- Lobsters must periodically molt in order to grow, shedding their hard, external skeleton (shell) when they grow too large for it and forming a new one. They eat voraciously after they molt, often devouring their own recently vacated shells. Eating their shell replenishes lost calcium and helps harden their new shell.
- Lobsters molt about 20 to 25 times over a period of 5 to 8 years between the time they hatch and when they are able to reproduce and reach the minimum legal size to be harvested.
- Usually, lobsters mate after the females molt. Males deposit sperm in the soft-shelled females. The female stores the sperm internally for up to a year.
- Females can have 5,000 to more than 100,000 eggs, depending on their size. The eggs are fertilized as females release them on the underside of their tails, where they carry the eggs for 9 to 11 months.
- Egg-bearing females move inshore to hatch their eggs during late spring or early summer.
- The pelagic (free-swimming) larvae molt four times before they resemble adults and settle to the bottom.
- Lobsters are opportunistic feeders, feeding on whatever prey is most available, so their diet varies regionally.
- Larvae and postlarvae are carnivorous and eat zooplankton (tiny floating animals) during their first year.
- Adults are omnivorous, feeding on crabs, mollusks, worms, sea urchins, sea stars, fish, and macroalgae.
- In general, a variety of bottom-dwelling species feed on lobster, including fish, sharks, rays, skates, octopuses, and crabs. Young lobsters are especially vulnerable to predators. Large, hard-shelled lobsters may be immune to predators (except humans).
Where They Live
Range
- American lobsters are found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean from Labrador to Cape Hatteras. They’re most abundant in coastal waters from Maine through New Jersey, and are also common offshore to depths of 2,300 feet from Maine through North Carolina.
Habitat
- American lobsters live on the ocean floor.
- They live alone and are very territorial.
- They can live in a variety of habitats as long as there is a burrow or crevice for cover.
- Coastal lobsters like rocky areas where they can readily find shelter, although they’re sometimes found in mud bottoms where they can burrow.
- Offshore populations are most abundant along the edge of the continental shelf near underwater canyons.
- Near the coast, small lobsters do not travel much, but larger ones may travel extensively. Offshore lobsters migrate during the spring anywhere from 50 to 190 miles.
- Scientists, managers, and fishermen are concerned about the habitat conditions for American lobster in inshore Southern New England waters, particularly in Long Island Sound. Scientists believe that a combination of warmer water temperatures, hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen levels), and other stress factors resulted in lobster die-offs in western Long Island Sound in late 1999 and in 2002. If these conditions continue, future die-offs are possible. Researchers also believe that increased water temperatures in Southern New England may be driving lobsters to cooler offshore waters and disrupting the settlement of larvae in traditional coastal areas.
Fishery Management
- The states and NOAA Fisheries cooperatively manage the American lobster resource and fishery under the framework of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).
- Each lobster harvesting state has three members on the ASMFC lobster management board, and NOAA Fisheries has one representative on the board. Each state, and NOAA Fisheries, has one vote when deliberating management measures for American lobster. The management board looks to industry advisors to provide recommendations for managing the fishery to meet management objectives.
- States have jurisdiction for implementing measures in state waters (within 3 nautical miles of shore), while NOAA Fisheries implements complementary regulations for the American lobster fishery in offshore federal waters (3 to 200 nautical miles from shore).
- The American lobster’s range is divided into two stock areas and seven management areas. There are seven Lobster Conservation Management Teams, one for each management area. These teams, made up of industry representatives, recommend measures to address the specific needs in their respective management areas. Federal waters contain portions of six of the seven management areas. Only Area 6 is totally within state waters (Long Island Sound, which consists of New York and Connecticut state waters).
- Managed in state waters (within 3 nautical miles of shore) under the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. Each management area has unique regulations that include:
- Limits on the minimum and maximum size of lobster than can be harvested.
- Trap limits control fishing effort. Each lobster vessel is limited to either a vessel-based trap allocation based on its historical fishing practices, or an area-wide trap cap (the maximum number of traps a vessel may fish in a specific area).
- Measures to protect egg-bearing females—fishermen may not harvest them and, in most areas, if one is caught in their trap, they must notch its tail fin in a “v” shape before returning it to the water.
- Prohibition on possession of lobster meat and lobster parts (lobsters must be landed live and whole to ensure they are of legal size).
- Gear restrictions, trap configuration requirements, and prohibition on using spears to fish for lobsters.
- Restrictions on the amount of lobster that can be harvested with non-trap gear.
- Monitoring and reporting requirements.
- A trap transfer program was initiated in 2015 in a subset of the management areas that allows Federal permit holders to purchase partial trap allocation from other authorized permit holders. Others may sell allocation to other Federal lobster permit holders to downsize their own fishing operations and allow other permit holders to gain access to the trap fishery in certain management areas.
- Managed in federal waters (3 to 200 nautical miles offshore) under regulations implemented through the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, including:
- Fishermen must have a permit to harvest lobster. A temporary moratorium on the issuance of federal lobster permits, which limits the amount of available permits to control the number of fishermen harvesting lobster, was extended indefinitely in 1999.
- Limits on the minimum and maximum size of lobsters that can be harvested, which varies by management area.
- Prohibition on possession of lobster meat and lobster parts (lobsters must be landed live and whole to ensure they are of legal size).
- Measures to protect egg-bearing females—fishermen may not harvest them and, in most areas, if one is caught in their trap, they must notch its tail fin in a “v” shape before returning it to the water.
- Gear restrictions (trap size, gear marking requirements, escape vents, and ghost panels).
- Trap limits, which vary among management areas.
- To improve data collection in the fishery, all federal lobster dealers must submit weekly electronic reports for all lobsters they purchase from fishermen with federal permits. Federal lobster permit holders are not required to report landings unless they have another Federal fishery permit, in addition to their Federal lobster permit, that requires landings reports (e.g., Northeast multispecies permit).
- Area-specific measures have been approved to reduce fishing exploitation on the Southern New England stock, including biological and effort control management measures.
- Regulations require biodegradable escape panels or hinges on traps to prevent ghost fishing (when lost gear continues to capture lobster and other species). Escape panels must be large enough to reduce bycatch of undersized lobsters.
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages the American lobster resource in Canadian territorial waters of the northwest Atlantic Ocean.
Harvest
- Commercial fishery:
- In 2022, commercial landings of American lobster totaled 119 million pounds and were valued at $515 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- The two stocks of American lobster—Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, and Southern New England—support both inshore and offshore fisheries. The Gulf of Maine and Southern New England areas are predominantly inshore fisheries, while the Georges Bank area is predominantly an offshore fishery. Most U.S. harvest is caught in inshore waters.
- There’s a reason we associate Maine with lobsters—the state has led American lobster landings for over 3 decades. Massachusetts is the second leading producer. Together, these two states produce 93 percent of the total U.S. American lobster harvest, and 93 percent of the coast-wide landings come from the Gulf of Maine lobster stock.
- Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
- Most fishermen use traps to harvest lobster. They bait rectangular, wire-mesh traps then lower them to the ocean floor in water 15 to 1,000 feet deep. A buoy that marks the trap’s location is attached to the trap line. Fishermen haul the traps back to the surface every few days to check their catch, although the frequency varies depending on the season and the location.
- The Northeast/Mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery can incidentally entangle large whales. To reduce injuries and deaths of large whales due to fisheries interactions, the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan was implemented in 1997. The plan continues to evolve as we learn more about why whales become entangled and how fishing practices might be modified to reduce the risk of entanglement. Lobstermen must follow a number of regulations to protect large whales from fishing gear. For example, lobstermen must use sinking groundlines between traps to reduce the amount of line in the water column, which reduces the potential for whales and other protected species to become entangled. In addition, lobster permit holders are required to haul their active traps at least once every 30 days. Learn more about these and other actions in the North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery, NOAA Fisheries' multi-pronged approach to address threats and monitor progress.
- Traps can incidentally catch finfish and invertebrates (such as crabs and conch). Regulations require traps to be configured with biodegradable escape panels or hinges on traps to prevent ghost fishing (lost gear that continues to capture lobster and other species and may pose a hazard to other marine species). Escape panels must be large enough to reduce bycatch of undersized lobsters.
- Recreational fishery:
- Recreational fishermen catch lobsters in coastal waters with pots and by hand while scuba diving. Recreational fishermen with a federal lobster permit may harvest lobster in federal waters, but the lobster cannot be sold.
Scientific Classification
- American lobsters are found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean from Labrador to Cape Hatteras. They’re most abundant in coastal waters from Maine through New Jersey, and are also common offshore to depths of 2,300 feet from Maine through North Carolina.
- American lobsters live on the ocean floor.
- They live alone and are very territorial.
- They can live in a variety of habitats as long as there is a burrow or crevice for cover.
- Coastal lobsters like rocky areas where they can readily find shelter, although they’re sometimes found in mud bottoms where they can burrow.
- Offshore populations are most abundant along the edge of the continental shelf near underwater canyons.
- Near the coast, small lobsters do not travel much, but larger ones may travel extensively. Offshore lobsters migrate during the spring anywhere from 50 to 190 miles.
- Scientists, managers, and fishermen are concerned about the habitat conditions for American lobster in inshore Southern New England waters, particularly in Long Island Sound. Scientists believe that a combination of warmer water temperatures, hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen levels), and other stress factors resulted in lobster die-offs in western Long Island Sound in late 1999 and in 2002. If these conditions continue, future die-offs are possible. Researchers also believe that increased water temperatures in Southern New England may be driving lobsters to cooler offshore waters and disrupting the settlement of larvae in traditional coastal areas.
Fishery Management
- The states and NOAA Fisheries cooperatively manage the American lobster resource and fishery under the framework of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).
- Each lobster harvesting state has three members on the ASMFC lobster management board, and NOAA Fisheries has one representative on the board. Each state, and NOAA Fisheries, has one vote when deliberating management measures for American lobster. The management board looks to industry advisors to provide recommendations for managing the fishery to meet management objectives.
- States have jurisdiction for implementing measures in state waters (within 3 nautical miles of shore), while NOAA Fisheries implements complementary regulations for the American lobster fishery in offshore federal waters (3 to 200 nautical miles from shore).
- The American lobster’s range is divided into two stock areas and seven management areas. There are seven Lobster Conservation Management Teams, one for each management area. These teams, made up of industry representatives, recommend measures to address the specific needs in their respective management areas. Federal waters contain portions of six of the seven management areas. Only Area 6 is totally within state waters (Long Island Sound, which consists of New York and Connecticut state waters).
- Managed in state waters (within 3 nautical miles of shore) under the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. Each management area has unique regulations that include:
- Limits on the minimum and maximum size of lobster than can be harvested.
- Trap limits control fishing effort. Each lobster vessel is limited to either a vessel-based trap allocation based on its historical fishing practices, or an area-wide trap cap (the maximum number of traps a vessel may fish in a specific area).
- Measures to protect egg-bearing females—fishermen may not harvest them and, in most areas, if one is caught in their trap, they must notch its tail fin in a “v” shape before returning it to the water.
- Prohibition on possession of lobster meat and lobster parts (lobsters must be landed live and whole to ensure they are of legal size).
- Gear restrictions, trap configuration requirements, and prohibition on using spears to fish for lobsters.
- Restrictions on the amount of lobster that can be harvested with non-trap gear.
- Monitoring and reporting requirements.
- A trap transfer program was initiated in 2015 in a subset of the management areas that allows Federal permit holders to purchase partial trap allocation from other authorized permit holders. Others may sell allocation to other Federal lobster permit holders to downsize their own fishing operations and allow other permit holders to gain access to the trap fishery in certain management areas.
- Managed in federal waters (3 to 200 nautical miles offshore) under regulations implemented through the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, including:
- Fishermen must have a permit to harvest lobster. A temporary moratorium on the issuance of federal lobster permits, which limits the amount of available permits to control the number of fishermen harvesting lobster, was extended indefinitely in 1999.
- Limits on the minimum and maximum size of lobsters that can be harvested, which varies by management area.
- Prohibition on possession of lobster meat and lobster parts (lobsters must be landed live and whole to ensure they are of legal size).
- Measures to protect egg-bearing females—fishermen may not harvest them and, in most areas, if one is caught in their trap, they must notch its tail fin in a “v” shape before returning it to the water.
- Gear restrictions (trap size, gear marking requirements, escape vents, and ghost panels).
- Trap limits, which vary among management areas.
- To improve data collection in the fishery, all federal lobster dealers must submit weekly electronic reports for all lobsters they purchase from fishermen with federal permits. Federal lobster permit holders are not required to report landings unless they have another Federal fishery permit, in addition to their Federal lobster permit, that requires landings reports (e.g., Northeast multispecies permit).
- Area-specific measures have been approved to reduce fishing exploitation on the Southern New England stock, including biological and effort control management measures.
- Regulations require biodegradable escape panels or hinges on traps to prevent ghost fishing (when lost gear continues to capture lobster and other species). Escape panels must be large enough to reduce bycatch of undersized lobsters.
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages the American lobster resource in Canadian territorial waters of the northwest Atlantic Ocean.
Harvest
- Commercial fishery:
- In 2022, commercial landings of American lobster totaled 119 million pounds and were valued at $515 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- The two stocks of American lobster—Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, and Southern New England—support both inshore and offshore fisheries. The Gulf of Maine and Southern New England areas are predominantly inshore fisheries, while the Georges Bank area is predominantly an offshore fishery. Most U.S. harvest is caught in inshore waters.
- There’s a reason we associate Maine with lobsters—the state has led American lobster landings for over 3 decades. Massachusetts is the second leading producer. Together, these two states produce 93 percent of the total U.S. American lobster harvest, and 93 percent of the coast-wide landings come from the Gulf of Maine lobster stock.
- Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
- Most fishermen use traps to harvest lobster. They bait rectangular, wire-mesh traps then lower them to the ocean floor in water 15 to 1,000 feet deep. A buoy that marks the trap’s location is attached to the trap line. Fishermen haul the traps back to the surface every few days to check their catch, although the frequency varies depending on the season and the location.
- The Northeast/Mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery can incidentally entangle large whales. To reduce injuries and deaths of large whales due to fisheries interactions, the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan was implemented in 1997. The plan continues to evolve as we learn more about why whales become entangled and how fishing practices might be modified to reduce the risk of entanglement. Lobstermen must follow a number of regulations to protect large whales from fishing gear. For example, lobstermen must use sinking groundlines between traps to reduce the amount of line in the water column, which reduces the potential for whales and other protected species to become entangled. In addition, lobster permit holders are required to haul their active traps at least once every 30 days. Learn more about these and other actions in the North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery, NOAA Fisheries' multi-pronged approach to address threats and monitor progress.
- Traps can incidentally catch finfish and invertebrates (such as crabs and conch). Regulations require traps to be configured with biodegradable escape panels or hinges on traps to prevent ghost fishing (lost gear that continues to capture lobster and other species and may pose a hazard to other marine species). Escape panels must be large enough to reduce bycatch of undersized lobsters.
- Recreational fishery:
- Recreational fishermen catch lobsters in coastal waters with pots and by hand while scuba diving. Recreational fishermen with a federal lobster permit may harvest lobster in federal waters, but the lobster cannot be sold.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Arthropoda | Class | Malacostraca | Order | Decapoda | Family | Nephropidae | Genus | Homarus | Species | americanus |
|---|
Featured News
Two North Atlantic right whales, 2018. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Tim Cole
Related Species
Commercial Fishing Regulations
The American Lobster fishery occurs from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. There are seven Lobster Conservation Management Areas, which are labeled as Area 1, Area 2, Area 3, Area 4, Area 5, Area 6, and Outer Cape Cod Area. The American lobster resource and fishery are cooperatively managed by the states and NOAA Fisheries under the framework of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Lobster Trap Definition
A lobster trap refers to any structure or other device, other than a net, that is placed, or designed to be placed, on the ocean bottom and is designed for or is capable of, catching lobsters, fished by a federal lobster vessel. Please refer to the federal regulations, 50 CFR 697.2, for specific definitions to federal lobster management.
Each management area has unique regulations that include:
- Trap limits, which are a form of effort control.
- Each permit holder is limited to either an individual trap allocation based on historical fishing practices, or an area-wide trap cap which represents the maximum number of traps that a permit holder may fish in a specific area. Trap limits vary by Lobster Management Area.
- Prohibition on the possession of egg-bearing lobsters and v-notched lobsters.
- V-notching is indenting the tail fin of egg-bearing females in a v shape before returning it to the water to mark it as broodstock and protect it from harvest, to improve egg production.
- Prohibition on possession of lobster meat and lobster parts (lobsters must be landed live and whole to ensure that they are of legal size).
- Gear restrictions (trap configuration requirements and prohibition on using spears)
- Limits on the amount of lobster that can be harvested with non-trap gear.
- Fishermen must have a permit to harvest lobster in federal waters.
- Limits on the minimum and maximum size of lobster than can be harvested, which vary among management areas.
- To improve data collection in the fishery, all federal lobster dealers must submit weekly electronic reports for all lobsters purchased from fishermen with federal permits.
- Specific information on the federal lobster prohibitions can be found at 50 CFR 697.7.
Reporting A Commercial Catch
Reporting Requirements
Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR)
Beginning April 1, 2024, owners/operators of vessels holding a federal lobster permit must submit VTRs electronically. For more information about trip reporting, and to see a list of approved eVTR software applications, please visit the Greater Atlantic Region vessel trip reporting page.
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Requirements
Vessels with only a federal lobster permit and no other federal fishery permits are not required to have a VMS.
Dealer Reporting
All federal lobster dealers must provide weekly electronic trip level reports of lobster purchases.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System Requirements
The American lobster fishery does not have any IVR requirements. However, those vessels with a federal lobster permit and another federal fisheries permit that requires the IVR system must include the harvest of lobster and all other species to NOAA Fisheries.
Observer Requirements
A federal lobster vessel must take a federal fishery observer upon request by the federal government (50 CFR 697.12).
Commercial Gear Information
Gear Requirements
Lobster Trap Requirements by Area
| Lobster Management Area | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Area 4 | Area 5 | Area 6 | OCC |
| Escape vent rectangular | 1- 15/16 x 5-¾" | 2 x 5¾" | 2- 1/16 x 5-¾" | 2 x 5¾" | 2 x 5-¾" | 2 x 5-¾" | 2 x 5-¾" |
| Escape vent circular | 2- 7/16" | 2- 5/8" | 2- 11/16" | 2- 5/8" | 2- 5/8 " | 2- 5/8" | 2-5/8" |
Lobster Trap Gear Marking Areas
Federal lobster trap vessels must adhere to the gear marking requirements as set forth in §697.21 of the Federal lobster regulations for each gear marking area, as summarized below:
Buoy, Line Marking, and Deployment Requirements for Lobster Traps
- The deployment and gear configuration for American lobster, as defined by §697.21(b), establishes gear requirements for four geographic areas: (1) The Gulf of Maine, (2) Georges Bank, (3) Southern New England and (4) Mid-Atlantic gear areas (see Figure2).
- American lobster trap trawls consisting of three or fewer traps deployed in the four geographic areas identified in Figure 2 must be attached to and marked with a single buoy.
- Lobster trap trawls consisting of more than three traps must have a radar reflector and a single flag or pennant on the westernmost end (marking the half compass circle from magnetic south through west, to and including north), while the easternmost end (meaning the half compass circle from magnetic north through east, to and including south) of an American lobster trap trawl must be configured with a radar reflector only.
- Standard tetrahedral corner radar reflectors of at least 8 inches (20.32 cm) (both in height and width, and made from metal) must be employed.
- Furthermore, no American lobster trap trawl shall exceed 1.5 nautical miles (2.78 km) in length, as measured from radar reflector to radar reflector, except in Area 3 where the maximum length of a lobster trap trawl shall not exceed 1.75 nautical miles (3.24 km).
In addition to the gear configuration requirements mentioned here, permit holders should be aware that American lobster regulations have trap tag requirements for each trap.
Lobster Gear Marking Areas
| Lobster Trap Gear Making Area | N. Latitude | W. Longitude |
| Gulf of Maine | North of 42°20' | seaward of a line drawn 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the baseline of the territorial sea |
| Georges Bank | South of 42°20' | East of 70°00´ or the outer boundary of the territorial sea, whichever lies farther east |
| Mid-Atlantic | North of 36°33´ at a depth greater than 40 fathoms (73.15 m). | West of 71°30´ |
| Southern New England | N/A | West of 70°00´. Long, east of 71°30´ at a depth greater than 25 fathoms (45.72 m) |
*See regulations §697.21 for further information on all points.
For a map of the lobster gear areas, please refer to the "Resources" tab.
Hauling Lobster Gear
It is prohibited to possess, deploy, fish with, haul, harvest lobster from, or have on board, trap gear issued to another vessel. Traps must be hauled at least once every 30 days. Wet storage of traps is not permitted. If traps are expected to be unattended for greater than 30 days, we may authorize a substitute vessel to haul ashore the lobster trap gear of a federally permitted lobster vessel that has broken down. Authorization will not be granted to fish a permitted vessel's gear with another vessel.
Gear Restricted and Closed Areas
Any federal lobster permit holder with a trap designation on their permit, may not fish with traps in an area not designated on the permit. You may choose more than one designated area when applying or reapplying for a fishing permit.
Seasonal Closed Areas
| OCC | Area 4 | Area 5 | |
| Seasonal Closure | February 1-March 31 | April 30-May 31 | February 1-March 31* |
| Grace Period* | None | 1 week gear replacement | 2 weeks gear removal, 1 week gear replacement |
| Federal Regulation | §697.7 (c)(1)(xxx)(A) | §697.7 (c)(1)(xxx)(B) | §697.7 (c)(1)(xxx)(C) |
*Grace periods allow permit holders extra time to remove gear at the beginning of a closure period or reset gear at the end of a closure period. No possession or harvest of lobster is allowed during these grace periods.
Gear Restricted Areas
The gear restricted areas were established with input from both mobile and trap gear lobster fishermen and are intended to avoid gear conflicts during certain times of the year. These areas restrict access to either trap or mobile gear on an alternating seasonal basis as described below:
| Federal Regulations | Restricted Gear Area | Area Closed to Mobile Gear | Area Closed to Lobster Fixed Gear |
| §697.23(b) | I | 10/1-6/15 | 6/16-9/30 |
| §697.23(c) | II | 11/27-6/15 | 6/16-11/26 |
| 697.23(d) | III | 6/16-11/26 | 1/1-4/30 |
| §697.23(e) | IV | 6/16-9/30 | Not Applicable |
For a map of the Gear Restricted Areas, please refer to the maps under the "Resources" tab.
Seafood Facts
Is American Lobster Sustainable?
U.S. wild-caught American lobster is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Year-round. In New England, where most lobsters are landed, the peak harvest season extends from May to November.
Source
U.S. wild-caught from Maine to North Carolina.
Taste
Mild and sweet.
Texture
The meat is firm and somewhat fibrous. The tail meat is firmer than the meat from the claws.
Color
The meat is white with red tinges.
Health Benefits
Lobster is low in saturated fat and is a very good source of protein and selenium. The FDA advises consumers to not eat the tomalley, the light-green substance found in the lobster.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 90; Protein: 18.80 g; Total Fat: 0.9 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.18 g; Carbohydrate: 0.5 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 95 mg; Selenium: 41.4 mcg; Sodium: 296 mgSustainable Seafood Recipes
Looking for a new seafood recipe or an old favorite? If you need some cooking inspiration, browse these seafood recipes for main dishes, appetizers, sides, and more!
Seafood News
NOAA Fisheries, in collaboration with Blue Ocean Mariculture, is conducting a multi-year pilot study to evaluate observational methods and tools for studying Hawaiian monk seal behavior. Courtesy of Blue Ocean Mariculture
Tonya Wick aboard a fishing vessel at sea in 1998. Photo courtesy of Tonya Wick
Fish on display at the market. Credit: Shutterstock
Fishermen offloading. Credit: Shutterstock
Trap Transfer Program
In 2002, the Commission approved Addendum III to Amendment 3 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan, which allowed for the transfer of individual traps among Outer Cape Area permit holders. Since then, states have developed trap transfer programs for Areas 2, 3, and the Outer Cape. NOAA Fisheries has adopted this program, working with the states to transfer traps for Areas 2, 3, and the Outer Cape.
The purpose of the trap transfer program is to give lobster permit holders the flexibility to optimize the size of their trap allocations. If your permit did not qualify to trap fish in Areas 2, 3, or the Outer Cape, you may "buy" into these areas by purchasing trap allocation. Traps cannot be leased, but can be bought and sold to your desired level of effort, not to exceed an area's trap limit.
With each transfer transaction, there is a 10% conservation tax to the buyer, further removing effort from the fishery. Each year, from August 1 to September 30, trap transfer applications are accepted and NOAA Fisheries works with state agencies to coordinate and approve valid trap transfers. Trap transfers go into effect the following fishing year. Use this application.
Example of a 200-Trap Transfer
Management Overview
The American lobster resource and fishery are cooperatively managed by the states and the NOAA Fisheries under the framework of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Individual states manage the resource within their state waters (0–3 nautical miles from the shoreline) and the federal government manages the resource in the Exclusive Economic Zone (3–200 nautical miles from the shoreline).
The states and federal government coordinate this management through the Commission's Lobster Board. The Lobster Board is the Commission committee responsible for developing a management plan for lobster (known as the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster, or Lobster Plan).
The states enact the Lobster Plan's recommended measures in state waters according to their state regulatory authorities, and NOAA Fisheries enacts these recommended measures in the EEZ under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act), which is the federal law that gives NOAA Fisheries authority to enact lobster regulations.
There are seven Lobster Management Areas (Areas) from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Each management area has specific management requirements that are summarized in the table below.
The commercial lobster fishery is not managed by quota limitations; instead trap caps are used to control fishing effort. The Commission has implemented a Limited Access Program in all 7 Lobster Management Areas. All Areas, with the exception of Area 1, have also gone through an individual trap allocation process, where vessels are allocated individual trap allocations based on their prior fishing history in the Area.
Table 1: Lobster Management Measures by Area
| Management Measure | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Area 4 | Area 5 | Area 6 | Area Outer Cape |
| Trap Limit | 800 | Permit Specific, not to exceed 800 | Permit Specific, not to exceed 1,945 | Permit Specific, not to exceed 1,440 | Permit Specific, not to exceed 1,440 | State waters only | Permit specific, not to exceed 800 |
| Minimum Carapace Size | 3-1/4" | 3-3/8" | 3-17/32" | 3-3/8" | 3-3/8" | 3-1/4" | 3-3/8" |
| Maximum Carapace Size | 5" | 5-1/4" | 6-3/4" | 5-1/4" | 5-1/4" | 5-3/8" | 6-3/4" |
| V-Notch Marking Requirement | Mandatory for all egg-bearing females | Mandatory for all egg-bearing females | Mandatory for all egg-bearing females | Mandatory for all egg-bearing females | Mandatory for all egg-bearing females | See state regulations | None |
| V-notch possession | Zero tolerance | < 1/8" | < 1/8" | < 1/8" | < 1/8" | < 1/8" | < 1/8" |
| Closed Season | None | None | None | April 30–May 31 | February 1–March 31 | See state regulations | February 1–March 31 |
*State and federal measures may differ. Permit holders are bound by the more restrictive of either state or federal American lobster regulations.
The measures above apply to permit holders fishing with lobster trap gear. A "lobster trap" refers to any structure or other device, other than a net, that is placed, or designed to be placed, on the ocean bottom and is designed for or is capable of, catching lobsters, fished by a federal lobster vessel.
Please refer to the federal regulations, 50 CFR 697.2, for specific definitions to federal lobster management. Permit holders with a non-trap permit may retain up to 100 lobsters per day or no more than 500 lobsters per trip of 5 days or more. For more detailed information on non-trap gear please see §697.17.
Regulatory History
2023
- In May 2023, the Commission approved Addendum XXVII to Amendment 3. The Addendum establishes a trigger mechanism to implement management measures – specifically gauge and escape vent sizes – to provide additional protection of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank spaw Areas 1, 3, and Outer Cape Cod to improve the consistency of measures across the GOM/GBK stock.
- NOAA Fisheries published an interim final rule on October 2, 2023, implementing ownership caps for Areas 2 and 3, effective May 1, 2025, maximum trap cap reductions effective May 1, 2025, and mandatory electronic harvester reporting using the electronic vessel trip report, beginning April 1, 2024. Based on comments received, we are requesting additional comment on the maximum trap cap reductions for Area 3 and the aggregate ownership caps for Areas 2 and 3.
2022
- In March 2022, the Commission approved Addendum XXIX to Amendment 3 (also considered Addendum IV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah Crab). The addendum established electronic tracking requirements for federally-permitted vessels in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries, with the goal of collecting high resolution spatial and temporal effort data to support a number of ongoing efforts.
2018
- In February 2018, the Commission approved Addendum XXVI to Amendment 3. The Addendum addresses concerns regarding deficits in existing reporting requirements by expanding the mandatory harvester reporting data elements, improving the quality of harvester data, establishing a 5-year timeline for implementation of 100 percent harvester reporting, and prioritizing the development of electronic harvester reporting.
2017
- In October 2017, the Commission approved Draft Addendum XXVI which includes measures to improve harvester reporting and biological data in state and federal waters. Currently, the document is out for public comment through January 22, 2018.
- In August 2017, The Commission initiated Addendum XXVII. This Addendum considers developing consistent management measures for the GOM/GBK stock such as gauge size and v-notch definitions for better enforcement of the sale of lobster across state lines, which currently have different gauge size requirements.
2016
- The Commission initiated Draft Addendum XXV in August 2016. This Addendum attempted to address the continued decline of the SNE stock by suggesting measures to increase egg production such as gauge size changes, seasonal closures, and trap reductions. The Commission ultimately decided not to move forward with this addendum.
2015
- NOAA Fisheries published a final rule on January 15, 2015, to implement trap reductions in Areas 2 and 3. This final rule also contained several broodstock protection measures, including seasonal closures, mandatory v-notching, and a revised minimum size for Areas 2, 3, 4, and 5.
- The Commission approved Addendum XXIV in May 2015. This Addendum aligns the requirements of the trap transferability program approved for Areas 2, 3, and OCC with recently approved Federal regulations.
- NOAA Fisheries published a final rule on November 10, 2015, changing the timing of the Area 4 seasonal closure from February 1 to March 31 to April 30 to May 31. This action ensures that Federal regulations remain consistent with state measures and the Commission’s overall Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster.
2014
- NOAA Fisheries published a final rule on April 7, 2014, to implement Limited Access programs in Area 2 and the Outer Cape Area. This final rule also implemented a Trap Transfer Program for Area 2, Area 3, and Outer Cape Area permit holders.
- The Commission approved Addendum XXIII in August 2014. This Addendum focuses on habitat components that play a vital role in the reproduction, growth, and the sustainability of commercial and recreational fisheries by providing shelter, feeding, spawning and nursery grounds for lobsters to survive. While the Addendum does not implement any changes to the lobster management program, it is intended to advance our understanding of the habitat needs and requirements of American lobster and provides the most current information to inform management decisions.
2013
- The Commission approved Addendum XIX on February 19, 2013. This Addendum will implement a 10% transfer tax on both full and partial trap transfers in Area 3 when the Individual Transferable Trap Program is implemented.
- The Commission approved Draft Addendum XX for public comment on February 19, 2013. This Addendum establishes an agreement between the offshore lobster permit holders and the groundfish sector vessels to reduce incidences of gear conflict in the proposed opening of Closed Area II, to take place in Framework 48 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The purpose of this agreement is also to avoid potential damage to egg-bearing female lobsters by mobile gear trawling on the ocean bottom during the spawning season.
- The Commission approved Addendum XII in August 2013. This Addendum changes the transferability program for Areas 2 and 3. These changes are designed to allow for flexibility in the movement of traps as the consolidation program for Areas 2 and 3 to address latent effort (unfished allocation) are implemented.
- The Commission approved Addendum XXII in October 2013. This Addendum changes the single and aggregate ownership limits for Area 3. These changes are designed to allow for flexibility in the movement of traps as the consolidation program for LCMA 3 to address latent effort (unfished allocation).
2012
- NOAA Fisheries published a final rule on June 1, 2012, to implement a Limited Access Program in the Area 1 lobster trap fishery as required by the Commission in Addendum XV to the Lobster Plan.
- The Commission adopted Addendum XVII on February 7, 2012, which focuses on the rebuilding the Southern New England lobster stock. Addendum XVII proposes to rebuild the stock by reducing fishing effort in the stock area by 10 percent through: (1) mandatory v-notching of all egg-bearing females in Areas 2, 4, and 5; (2) closed seasons in Areas 4, 5, and 6; and (3) minimum gauge size of 3- 17/32 inches in Area 3.
- The Commission approved Addendum XVIII in August 2012. This Addendum is the first phase of the plans to rebuild the Southern New England lobster stock, by implementing management measures to reduce the level of fishing effort in Areas 2 and 3. This effort reduction will be done through a 25 percent trap reduction in Area 3 and a 50 percent trap reduction in Area 2.
2010
- NOAA Fisheries published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement which addressed effort control and trap transferability in Areas 2, 3, and the Outer Cape Cod. The Commission Lobster Technical Committee released a report indicating that the Southern New England lobster stock was experiencing recruitment failure and recommended a 5-year moratorium on the fishery. The Commission evaluated that recommendation along with several exploitation reduction scenarios.
2009
- Addendum XII established consistent management measures for a trap transferability program in Areas 2, 3, and the Outer Cape Cod.
- New management measures are implemented including changes to the lobster maximum carapace (shell) length restrictions, a requirement for all Federal lobster dealers to submit weekly electronic reports for all lobsters purchased from vessel owners with Federal permits and a change to the v-notch definition applicable to several Areas. V-notching is indenting the tail fin of egg-bearing females in a “v” shape before returning it to the water, to mark it as broodstock and protect it from harvest and improve egg production.
- Commission approves Addendum XV, which establishes a Limited Access Program in Area 1.
2007
- Addendum X established new monitoring and reporting requirements for the lobster fishery, and these reporting requirements were implemented by NOAA Fisheries in 2009.
- Federal regulations for Area 3 off Southern New England amended to be consistent with recommendations from the Commission; new conservation measures include gauge size increases, an escape vent size increase, and trap reductions.
2002
- EEZ Nearshore Management Area 5 Trap Waiver for black sea bass fishers was put in place because the pots used for black sea bass are capable of catching lobster. Since Area 5 does not have a large lobster population, NOAA Fisheries provided a regulatory exemption to allow black sea bass fishers to retain, land and sell a minor allowance of lobster equal to the non-trap harvest restrictions (§697.26), while fishing for black sea bass with traps in Area 5.
1999
- Commercial landings reach historic high of 89 million pounds (40,369 metric tons). The Commission passed Addendum I, which limited access to Areas 3, 4, and 5 to those permit holders who could document fishing history in those areas. NOAA Fisheries implemented its limited access program in Areas 3, 4, and 5 on March 27, 2003.
1997
- Amendment 3 to the Commission Lobster Plan is implemented. Amendment 3 establishes the regulatory mechanism for the transfer of federal management authority from Magnuson-Stevens Act to Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act). NOAA Fisheries implemented complementary regulations on December 6, 1999.
For more detailed information on the Commission and the Addenda visit the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s lobster page.