Research Document - 2000/014

The 1999 assessment of snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, stock in the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence
(Areas 12-25/26, E and F).

By M. Hébert, A. Hébert, E. Wade, T. Surette, D. Giard, P. DeGrâce, M. Biron, and M. Moriyasu

Abstract

The 1999 assessment of the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, stock (Areas 12, E and F) was done using data from the commercial fishery (fishermen’s logbooks, at-sea observer’s measurements, purchase slips from processing plants and quota monitoring reports) and trawl survey. In 1999, landings were 12,682 t in the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab fishery (Area 12) with an average catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of 43.9 kg/trap haul and a total fishing effort of 289,003 trap hauls. The 1999 landings for exploratory Areas E and F were 159 and 290 t, respectively. The CPUE was 29.4 kg/trap haul in Area E and 57.2 kg/trap haul in Area F. Fishing effort was estimated at 5,415 trap hauls in Area E and 5,072 trap hauls in Area F. The 1999 trawl survey indicates an increase in exploitable biomass (B) in the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Area 12) to 30956 t from 25,989 t in the 1998 survey. The recruitment to the fishery (R) was estimated at 16,494 t ± 3,548 t in 1999 compared to 15,215 t ± 4,295 t in 1998.

Given the increase of pre-recruits (R-3) since 1994 and pre-recruits (R-2) since 1997, the exploitable biomass (B) in the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab fishery (Area 12) will continue to increase for at lease another 3 years. The current exploitation rate of 49 % does not exceed the predicted recruitment biomass for 2000 and would ensure growth of exploitable biomass. The 2000 fishery should ensure that the harvest does not exceed the biomass of incomming recruitment (16,494 t). However, an increased in the incidence of soft-shelled crabs is expected in 2000-2001. In-season monitoring is necessary to protect the future recruitment to the fishery.

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