A drop of nearly 20 percent in the commercial spiny lobster market this season signals an end to the bountiful harvests of years gone by, according to monitoring statistics by the Department of Environmental Protection.

But more striking was the number of lionfish bycatch, which more than doubled compared to the previous season.

A total of 30,053 lobsters were landed by the commercial market this season, down approximately 19 percent compared to the record-breaking seasons between 2011 and 2013. Figures from the latest lobster season were similar to the total reported landings in 2009 and 2010 and greater than the number of landings in the nine years prior, according to season summary.

The report shows the average number of lobsters caught per trap offshore — 2.43 — was less than the record catch-rates experienced between 2011 — 3.08 — and 2013 — 3.32. While longer average soak times [the length of time a lobster pot is in the water] over the past four years contributed to this decline, it could also signal an end to the spike in recruitment that resulted in the past two bumper seasons.

The number of lobsters landed in a season can be influenced by myriad factors, the biggest being the number of lobsters brought to Bermudian waters — the “recruitment rate” — during the planktonic stage, said Dr Tammy Trott, Senior Marine Resources Officer at the Department of Environmental Protection.

After the bountiful seasons of 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, a relative increase in the legal size class observed over the past four seasons also indicated that the “pulse in recruitment” is now over, the report suggests.

“The spiny lobster fishery had an average season when compared to records for the past 15 years,” reads the report.

It added: “The record harvests of the past two seasons appear to have been driven by a strong recruitment pulse beginning four years ago, the influence of which no appears to be diminishing.”

That said, the report goes on to point out that “the larger lobsters are still present” and that the “current population structure is similar” to the years prior to 2011.

Of the bycatch caught in the lobster traps, a total of 1,235 lionfish were reported — more than double the 487 reported in the 2012-2013 season.

With no lionfish caught inshore, the report says that “despite incomplete reporting of bycatch previously, it does appear that the lionfish population is actually increasing at depth.”

Lionfish snagged in lobster traps are allowed to be sold, and the report indicates that “some fishers are now regularly marketing lionfish either whole, as a speciality item, or as fillet”, but adds that “more complete reporting of bycatch is to be encouraged.”

Other species caught in lobster traps included 50 octopus, 152 conies, as well as 111 individuals from at least 17 other species.