Research Document - 2003/098

Assessment of the 2002/2003 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery off southwest
Nova Scotia (NAFO Division 4X)

By Biron, M., Sabean, C., and Savoie, L.

Abstract

Seven permanent licences and two temporary permits were issued for the 2002-03 snow crab season. The fishery was open between 1 November 2002 and 1 June 2003 with a total allocation of 600 tonnes (t). The total landings of 221 t represented a 41% decrease compared to 2001-02. The average catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was 8.4 kilogram per trap haul (kg/th) in 2002-03, a 44% decrease compared to 2001-02 and the lowest average CPUE recorded since the 1997-98 season. The total effort of 26,363 trap hauls was at the highest level since this fishery started in 1994. At-sea sampling in 2002-03 was limited and occurred only in the month of March. The At-sea sampling did not represent the fishery considering that over 65% of the landings had occurred before the sampling started. The referees during the Regional Assessment Process in February 2003 recommended new ways of assessing the fishery-related data and describing how the fishery changed over time. The areal and abundance indices introduced in this stock assessment are simple, but seem to accurately reflect the historical and current state of the Southwest Nova Scotia (SWNS) fishery. Increases in landings from 1996-97 to 2001-02 (from 4 to 376 t) appear to be the result of expanded fishing grounds, increased fishing effort, and an overall increase in biomass. Commercial biomass declined in 2002-03, and that trend may continue in 2003-04. There is limited information currently available to properly assess the stock status of snow crab in Area 4X, but current status indicators are mostly negative, which suggest a catch reduction. Being near the southern limit of snow crab distribution and located in what is considered marginal environmental conditions, the long-term stability of this fishery is doubtful.

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