Seafood dependent livelihoods and climate change: Insights from the lobster fishery in Nova Scotia

Warming ocean waters have contributed to a distribution shift of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) that has seen Canadian stocks increase while stocks along the eastern coast of the United States have declined. Although this shift has been a boon for harvesters in Canada’s maritime provinces, there is concern that lobster populations could decline if Canadian waters continue to warm. This paper reports on a study of lobster harvesters in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to gather data on harvester awareness of climate change and its perceived impacts on their fishery and livelihoods. Dockside interviews were conducted with 287 lobster harvesters in the twelve Lobster Fishing Areas that surround the province. The results show that most harvesters are aware that climate change is occurring, and that they are also concerned about its impact on the lobster fishery. Nevertheless, suggested climate adaptation measures were generally not well received. A comparison of responses based on years of experience found that while the most experienced harvesters felt that they would not be able switch to another fishery or change careers should lobster stocks decline, they were also the least supportive of catch reductions to protect lobster stocks.