Research Document 1997/102
Assessment of the 1996 snow crab (Chionocetes opilio) fishery off eastern Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (Areas 20-24 and 4X)
By M. Biron, E. Wade, P. DeGrâce, R. Campbell, and M. Hébert
Abstract
Total 1996 landings in eastern Cape Breton were comparable to 1994 and 1995. Overall, there was a 35% increase in CPUE and a 40% reduction in total fishing effort compared to the same periods. However, in Area 22, reported total landings, fishing effort and CPUE have all decreased compared to 1995, while Areas 20 and 21 reported higher fishing effort (25 - 50%) and lower CPUE (25 - 35%) than 1995. As in 1995, the exploratory fishery for snow crab in NAFO Division 4X had low mean catch rates (1.01 kg/trap haul) relative to Areas 20-24.
A first trial of a research trawl and methods has been conducted as a potential supplementary tool to the current method of assessment of the eastern Cape Breton snow crab fishery. Twenty-three trawl stations were sampled prior to the fishery, covering mostly the inshore area of Area 23 and part of Area 24. The results matches the high catch rates and landings found for the same area.
The usefullness of carrying annually separated statistics for inshore and offshore areas, as well as for standardized and unstandardized fishing effort and CPUE, in the research document are discussed.)
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