Research Document - 2016/086
Review of the 2015 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12, 19, 12E and 12F)
By Hébert, M., Wade, E., DeGrâce, P., and Moriyasu, M.
Abstract
The review of the 2015 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12, 19, 12E and 12F) is presented. Total landings in the sGSL in 2015 were 25,911 tout of a quota of 25,842 t. In Area 12, landings were 23,080 t(quota of 23,021 t). The mean catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE) from logbooks increased in 2015 (67.9 kg per trap hauled (kg/th)) compared to 2014 (61.8 kg/th). The mean size of commercial-sized adult males decreased from 113.2 mm of carapace width (CW) in 2014 to 111.9 mm CW in 2015. The incidence of soft-shelled crab remained low at 4.9%. In Area 19, landings reached 2,129 t(quota of 2,130 t). The mean CPUE remained high in 2015 at 144.8 kg/th and is comparable to 2014 (147.4 kg/th). The mean size of commercial-sized crabs remained high in 2015 (115.7 mm CW). The incidence of white crabs increased from 1.0% in 2014 to 5.5% in 2015. In Areas 12E and 12F, landings were 192 t(quota of 189 t) and 510 t(quota of 502 t), respectively. In Area 12E, the mean CPUE increased in 2015 (65.8 kg/th) compared to 2014 (47.3 kg/th). The incidence of soft-shelled crab increased from 7.8% in 2014 to 9.8% in 2015. In Area 12F, the mean CPUE in 2015 (38.2 kg/th) is comparable to 2014 (38.1 kg/th) while the incidence of soft-shelled crabs remained low at 3.3% in 2015.
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