Resources / Fishing / Size at capture
Fishing · Stock & sustainability · Selectivity

Size at capture

112 mm carapace

The carapace-length distribution of the lobster you keep, read against the legal minimum length. Anything under the limit — and berried or oversize animals — goes back to the water.

Worked example · Carapace length · kept vs returned
LML 110 returned 104 112 128 mm
Carapace length · kept vs returned
The benchmark

Legal minimum length rules ensure most lobster spawn at least once before they can be taken; retaining a size spread just above the limit is the sustainable norm.

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What it signals

Size at capture is where sustainability and selectivity meet the price grid. A distribution sitting just above the minimum shows the size rules are working and the grounds are recruiting; a shift downward warns that larger animals are being fished out faster than they recruit.

Data required to calculate
Carapace length measuredmmLegal minimum lengthmm

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Measure every marginal animal against the legal minimum.

02

Return undersize lobster quickly and gently to survive and grow.

03

Track the size distribution for early signs of local depletion.

Questions & answers

What is size at capture?

The carapace-length distribution of the lobster you keep, read against the legal minimum length. Anything under the limit — and berried or oversize animals — goes back to the water.

What data do you need to calculate size at capture?

You need: Carapace length measured (mm), Legal minimum length (mm). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good size at capture benchmark?

Legal minimum length rules ensure most lobster spawn at least once before they can be taken; retaining a size spread just above the limit is the sustainable norm.

How do you improve size at capture?

Measure every marginal animal against the legal minimum. Return undersize lobster quickly and gently to survive and grow. Track the size distribution for early signs of local depletion.

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