Research Document 2017/048

Review of the 2016 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 2016 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12, 19, 12E and 12F) is presented. Total landings in the southern Gulf of Saint Lawrence (sGSL) in 2016 were 21,725 t out of a revised quota of 21,611 t. The allowable quota in the notice to harvesters was 21,759 t. In Area 12, landings were 19,499 t (revised quota of 19,393 t). The mean catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE) from logbooks decreased in 2016 (64.0 kg per trap hauled (kg/th)) compared to 2015 (67.9 kg/th). The mean size of commercial-sized adult males remained at 111.9 mm of carapace width (CW) in 2015 and 2016. The incidence of soft-shelled crab remained low at 5.3%. In Area 19, landings reached 1,701 t (revised quota of 1,701 t). The mean CPUE remained high in 2016 at 142.5 kg/th and is comparable to 2015 (144.8 kg/th). The mean size of commercial-sized crabs remained high in 2015 (114.4 mm CW). The incidence of white crabs increased from 5.5% in 2015 to 8.2% in 2016. In Areas 12E and 12F, landings were 144 t (revised quota of 144 t) and 381 t (revised quota of 373 t), respectively. In Area 12E, the mean CPUE decreased in 2016 (51.5 kg/th) compared to 2015 (65.8 kg/th). The incidence of soft-shelled crab decreased from 9.8% in 2015 to 1.1% in 2016. In Area 12F, the mean CPUE increased from 38.2 kg/th in 2015 to 43.9 kg/th in 2016. The incidence of soft-shelled crabs increased from 3.3% in 2015 to 10.4% in 2016.

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