Science Advisory Report 2017/020
Assessment of the Estuary and Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 13 to 17, 12A, 12B, 12C and 16A) Snow Crab Stocks in 2016
Summary
- Stocks in the Middle and Lower North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 13, 14, 15, 16, 16A and 12C) still had a relatively high commercial biomass in 2016. Recruitment to the fishery in all of these areas decreased in 2016, suggesting a decrease in the biomass available to the fishery in 2017. Of these areas, only the northern part of Area 13 showed an increase in recruitment in 2016, but it could decrease in the short term (2017). Conversely, the commercial biomass increased in Area 17 as recruitment started to recover. The commercial biomass decreased in areas 12A and 12B, and recruitment during the next few years could depend on productivity in adjacent areas.
- The purpose of conservation is to maintain an adequate male reproductive biomass in order to ensure the recovery or maintenance of the population in a given area. Recommendations assume that the natural mortality rate will be the same in 2017 as in previous years.
This Science Advisory Report is from the February 14-15, 2017, meeting on the Assessment of the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence Snow Crab stocks. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.
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