Terms of Reference

Assessment of the status of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab stock

Regional Advisory Process for the Gulf Region

February 9 and 10, 2011
Moncton (NB)

Chairperson: Gérald Chaput

Context

In support of fisheries management needs, Oceans and Science Branch Gulf Region undertakes a peer review of the stock status of snow crab biological unit of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (management units 12, 12E, 12F and 19).

Objectives

Develop science advice for the management of the snow crab stock for the southern Gulf of Saint Lawrence biological unit for the 2011 fishing season. The review of the commercial fisheries performance, the status of the resource, and the science advice will be based on the following considerations:

• For each of the four management areas in the southern Gulf (12, 12E, 12F, 19):
• Commercial fishery statistics for the 2010 fishing season (catches, landings and effort, sea sampling),
• indicators of the fishery: catch per unit of effort, carapace conditions, size and carapace condition of commercial size crab.
• Based on the results of the post-fishery directed snow crab trawl survey for 2010 and previous years:
  • estimation of the exploitable biomass  for the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence biological unit and for each of the management areas (12, 12E, 12F, 19),
• estimation of the abundance of male crab recruitment for the southern Gulf biological unit for the near future,
• estimation of the present and future abundance of the spawning stock of the southern Gulf biological unit,
• size structure of the male and female crab by stage of maturity for the southern Gulf biological unit,
• estimates of the exploitation rates of the commercially exploitable biomass for the southern Gulf biological unit.
• Projections, which incorporate uncertainty, of the exploitable biomass of commercial sized crab in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence biological unit for 2011.
• A risk analysis of different catch options for 2011 for the southern Gulf biological stock relative to the reference points (limit, upper reference) for the southern Gulf biological unit.
• Consideration of the environmental factors which may influence the abundance and population dynamic of the snow crab stock pf the southern Gulf and an overview of new knowledge or research questions which would lead to improvements in the scientific advice required for fisheries management

Expected Publications

• CSAS Science advisory report for the status of the snow crab biological unit of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (management units 12, 12E, 12F, and 19)
• CSAS proceedings report summarizing the discussions of the science review
• CSAS research document(s)

Participation

• DFO Oceans and Science Branch
• Other DFO Sectors
• Provinces
• External experts (to DFO)
• Fishing industry
• Aboriginal peoples