Research Document - 2013/100
Review of the 2012 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12, 19, 12E and 12F)
By M. Hébert, E. Wade, P. DeGrâce, J.-F. Landry and M. Moriyasu
Abstract
The review of the 2012 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12, 19, 12E and 12F) is presented. Total landings in the sGSL in 2012 were 21,956 t out of a quota of 22,007 t. In Area 12, landings were 18,159 t (quota of 18,143 t). The fishery performance in Area 12 was good in 2012. The mean catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE) increased in 2012 (68.0 kg per trap hauled (kg/th)) compared to 2011 (53.0 kg/th). The mean size of commercial-sized adult males remained high in 2012 at 111.6 mm of carapace width (CW), a decrease compared to 2011 (114.2 mm CW). The incidence of soft-shelled crab was low at 3.7%, lower than in 2011 (6.2%). In Area 19, the fishery performance was good; landings reached 2,906 t (quota of 2,907 t). The mean CPUE was 178.1 kg/th, the highest observed since 1987. The mean size of commercial-sized crabs slightly decreased in 2012 (114.8 mm CW) compared to 2011 (117.0 mm CW). The incidence of white crabs decreased from 11.5% in 2011 to 4.5% in 2012. In Areas 12E and 12F, landings were 185 t (quota of 251 t) and 706 t (quota of 706 t), respectively. In Area 12E, the mean CPUE slightly increased in 2012 (32.9 kg/th) compared to 2011 (31.5 kg/th) and the incidence of soft-shelled crab was low (3.3%). In Area 12F, the mean CPUE increased from 32.5 kg/th in 2011 to 41.8 kg/th in 2012 while the incidence of soft-shelled crabs increased from 2.6% in 2011 to 9.4% in 2012.
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