Science Advisory Report 2014/008

Assessment Of Snow Crab in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12, 19, 12E And 12F) and Advice for the 2014 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 2013 were 26,049 t from a quota of 25,949 t.
• The exploitation rate of the 2013 fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence was 34.7%.
• The 2013 post-fishery survey biomass of commercial-sized adult male crabs was estimated at 65,868 t (95% confidence interval (C. I.) 56,283 to 76,610 t), a decrease of 12.2% from 2012. The available biomass for the 2014 fishery, derived from the 2013 survey, is within the healthy zone of the Precautionary Approach framework.
• Fifty nine percent (59%) of the 2013 survey biomass, available for the 2014 fishery, is composed of new recruitment (38,981 t). The recruitment to the commercial biomass from the 2013 survey decreased by 20.4% relative to the previous year.
• The residual biomass (26,886 t) from the 2013 survey is comparable to 2012.
• The predicted recruitment of commercial-sized adult male crab for the 2015 fishery was estimated at 37,893 t (95% C.I. 28,568 to 49,114 t).
• A risk analysis of catch options relative to reference points for the 2014 fishery and expected biomass post-fishery is provided.

Fishery performance in 2013 in Area 12:

• The 2013 landings in Area 12 were 22,645 t (quota of 22,548 t).
• The CPUE (expressed as kg per trap haul (kg/th)) in 2013 (76.4 kg/th) increased compared to 2012 (68.0 kg/th).
• The incidence of soft-shelled crab remained low at 2.8%, a decrease compared to 2012 (3.7%).

Fishery performance in 2013 in Area 19:

• The 2013 landings in Area 19 were 2,657 t (quota of 2,654 t).
• The CPUE in 2013 (148.5 kg/th) decreased compared to 2012 (178.1 kg/th).
• The incidence of white-crab decreased from 4.5% in 2012 to 3.0% in 2013.

Fishery performance in 2013 in Area 12E:

• In Area 12E, the landings were 204 t (quota of 204 t).
• The CPUE in 2013 (40.1 kg/th) increased compared to 2012 (32.9 kg/th).
• The incidence of soft-shelled crab in 2013 increased to 15.9%, compared to 3.3% in 2012.

Fishery performance in 2013 in Area 12F:

• The 2012 landings in Area 12F were 543 t (quota of 543 t).
• The CPUE in 2013 (49.0 kg/th) increased compared to 2012 (41.8 kg/th).
• The incidence of soft-shelled crab decreased from 9.4% in 2012 to 2.4% in 2013.

This Science Advisory Report is from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, regional advisory meeting of January 29-31, 2014 on the assessment of the status of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab stock. Additional publications from this process will be posted the on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

Complete document (PDF, 1,465 KB)

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