Research Document - 2000/023

Rock crab off Eastern Nova Scotia: Stock Status and Evaluation of Exploratory Fishery.

By M.J. Tremblay and A. Reeves

Abstract

This document reviews fisheries for rock crab off eastern Cape Breton and the eastern shore of Nova Scotia (referred to here as Eastern Nova Scotia). Trends in landings, effort and catch rate (kg per trap haul) are examined to assess the potential effect of the fishery on the rock crab stock(s). Rock crab in this area are removed by both a directed exploratory fishery, and as a bycatch in the much larger lobster fishery. Landings by the directed fishery increased about 5-fold from 1994 to 1999 (255 mt). Assuming trap catch rate is an index of abundance, there are areas of local depletion of rock crab, but this is not a strong trend. The size composition in traps did not change from 1996-1999, suggesting exploitation has not altered rock crab size structure. In the directed fishery more fishing effort (e.g. increased participation rates, additional permits or additional traps) should be targeted to lightly fished areas to better evaluate the potential for a rock crab directed fishery.

Removals by the lobster fishery as a bycatch are under-reported if at all, since rock crab are used primarily as bait. These removals are a concern because they are difficult to quantify and could easily exceed the directed fishery. The biological sustainability of the directed fishery is difficult to evaluate without knowing the quantity of these removals, and how large they might become in the future.

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