Science Advisory Report  2013/002

Assessment of snow crab in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12, 19, 12E and 12F) and advice for the 2013 fishery

Summary

• Snow crab in fishing areas 12, 19, 12E, and 12F comprise a single biological population and the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence stock is considered as one unit for assessment purposes.
• The landings of snow crab from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2012 were 21,956 t from a quota of 22,007 t.
• The assessment in 2012 was conducted as per the recommendations of the Snow Crab Assessment Methods Framework Science Review held November 2011. The major change to the assessment methodology in 2012 was a revised sampling design that distributed sampling effort equally among 325 sampling grids.
• The exploitation rate of the 2012 fishery was 34.8%.
• The 2012 post-fishery survey biomass of commercial-sized adult male crabs was estimated at 74,997 t (95% C. I. 65,822 to 85,086 t), an increase of 18.7% from 2011. The available biomass for the 2013 fishery, derived from the 2012 survey, is within the healthy zone of the Precautionary Approach framework.
• Sixty five percent (65%) of the 2012 survey biomass, available for the 2013 fishery, is composed of new recruitment (48,969 t). The recruitment to the commercial biomass from the 2012 survey increased by 66.7% relative to the previous year.
• The residual biomass (26,028 t) from the 2012 survey decreased by 22.9% compared to 2011.
• The abundance of mature females remained high in 2012 relative to the low values observed during 2005 to 2009.
• The available predictions of recruitment of commercial-sized adult male crab indicate that they should remain at levels comparable to that of 2012 until the 2016 fishery.
• A risk analysis of catch options relative to reference points for the 2013 fishery is provided.

Fishery performance in 2012 in Area 12:

• The 2012 landings in Area 12 were 18,159 t (quota of 18,143 t).
• The CPUE (expressed as kg per trap haul (kg/th)) in 2012 (68.0 kg/th) increased compared to 2011 (53.0 kg/th).
• The incidence of soft-shelled crab remained low at 3.7% compared to 6.2% in 2011.

Fishery performance in 2012 in Area 19:

• The 2012 landings in Area 19 were 2,906 t (quota of 2,907 t).
• The CPUE in 2012 (178.1 kg/th) increased compared to 2011 (133.3 kg/th) and represents the highest value observed since records began in 1987.
• The incidence of white-crab decreased from 11.5% in 2011 to 4.5% in 2012.

Fishery performance in 2012 in Area 12E:

• In Area 12E, the landings were 185 t (quota of 251 t).
• The CPUE in 2012 (32.9 kg/th) slightly increased compared to 2011 (31.5 kg/th).
• The incidence of soft-shelled crab in 2012 decreased to 3.3%, compared to 8.4% in 2011.

Fishery performance in 2012 in Area 12F:

• The 2012 landings in Area 12F were 706 t (quota of 706 t).
• The CPUE in 2012 (41.8 kg/th) increased compared to 2011 (32.5 kg/th).
• The incidence of soft-shelled crab increased from 2.6% in 2011 to 9.4% in 2012.

This Science Advisory Report is from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, regional advisory meeting of January 30-31, 2013 on the assessment of the status of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab stock. Additional publications from this process will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

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