Research Document - 2002/012
Assessment of the 1999 / 2000 and 2000 / 2001 Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery off southwestern Nova Scotia (NAFO Division 4X; CFA 27)
By M. Biron, L. Savoie, K. Drinkwater and M. Moriyasu
Abstract
The management measures in 1999 and in the first 9 months of 2000 remained similar to those in 1998, however in the fall of 2000, the existing 4 exploratory permits were converted into permanent licenses. Overall, landings (213 t), average CPUEs (13.7 kg/th) and total effort (15,568 th) have increased during the 2000 / 2001 fishing season compared to the same period in 1999 / 2000 (119 t, 9.8 kg/th and 12,038 th, respectively). This fishery operated in a competitive manner and without a quota. Therefore, landings were neither distributed equally among fishermen, nor evenly distributed between the two fishing grounds. Less than 15 t were harvested in the Roseway Basin and the remaining in the LaHave area.
The available snow crab biomass for this Area is unknown and there is no scientifically justifiable data to determinate a TAC (total allowable catch) limit. The use of CPUE and effort as indexes of abundance from this fishery is limited because average CPUEs and estimated total effort are greatly affected by the existing differences between gear types, fishing grounds, and in the effort deployed by each individual/license within a fishing season or for any given year (fishing season).
Sampling for female and undersized male (< 95 mm CW) snow crab, using shrimp traps, was carried out in 2000 in cooperation with the participating fishermen. Results show the presence of adolescent males (30% of catch) and females (7% of catch) in the LaHave area.
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