Observations, perceptions and concerns of the American lobster industry regarding the range-expansion of Black Sea Bass

Abstract

Fisheries in the U.S. Northeast are being impacted by the effects of climate change in part due to the range expansion of potential predators and competitors. In the Gulf of Maine, the American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery has expressed concerns about the range-expansion of Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata). Black Sea Bass occupy similar habitats to lobsters and commonly prey upon decapod crustaceans. However, state independent trawl surveys do not effectively track the Black Sea Bass range expansion, highlighting the value of fishers’ observations and perceptions of this dynamic change. Using a quantitative mixed-mode survey, commercial lobster fishers’ ecological knowledge of Black Sea Bass in the Gulf of Maine was assessed. Fishers noted increasing abundances of Black Sea Bass that coincided with warmer years. Furthermore, the degree to which lobster fishers view that Black Sea Bass will negatively impact the lobster fishery was best predicted by if they think that Black Sea Bass are eating lobsters. This study revealed that fishers are observing the range-expansion and increased prevalence of Black Sea Bass in the waters that they fish for lobsters, which is extremely valuable because it addresses an important gap in our understanding of how climate change is impacting the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. Documenting species range shifts and their potential impacts will benefit ongoing and future fisheries management decisions such as whether efforts to target and remove these species in their newly expanded range should occur.