Saba bank NAPRO

 The landing data for the lobster stock of the Saba Bank, collected annually since 2011, indicate that, despite reduced fishing pressure, there does not seem to be an increase in the stock from 2015 and that there seems to be structural overfishing and a decrease in the stock of egg-bearing female lobsters. Therefore, additional fishery-independent research into the lobster population on the Saba Bank is urgently needed. This research will use an underwater drone to map the occurrence and distribution of lobsters on the Saba Bank. This makes it possible to indicate any particularly important habitats and, based on a mapping of the bank's various habitats, to estimate the total stock of lobsters on the bank. Subsequently, it is possible to make a fishery-independent estimate of maximum lobster catches for the bank (MSY), which can serve as a better guideline for sustainable management than is currently possible on the basis of the catch data collected during regular port sampling.