Science Advisory Report 2023/044

Assessment of Newfoundland and Labrador (Divisions 2HJ3KLNOP4R) Snow Crab in 2022

Summary

Overall – Divisions 2HJ3KNLNOP4R

• The (DFO) trawl survey did not take place in 2022, therefore the trap survey time series was used to assess status in 2022.
• The overall exploitable biomass increased from historic lows in 2016-18 to near the long-term average in the past two years.
• Fishery Exploitation Rate Indices (ERIs) were moderate to low in most Assessment Divisions (ADs) in recent years. Status quo removals would reduce or maintain the exploitation rate in all ADs in 2023.
• With status quo removals in 2023, all ADs are projected to be in the Healthy Zone of the Precautionary Approach (PA) Framework, except 2HJ, which is projected to be in the Cautious Zone. Recent and ongoing data deficiencies result in the exclusion of 4R3Pn from the PA Framework.
• Both pre-recruit catch indices and model predictions of exploitable biomass based on climate variables indicate that productivity for the next three to five years may remain similar to current levels.
• There has been particular concern about the stock in AD 2HJ in recent years. Fishery and biomass indicators suggest some improvements in 2022, but some key indicators could not be updated in this assessment.

Environment and Ecosystem

• The Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Climate Index has shown a warming trend since 2018, with a record warm year in 2021.
• Overall conditions of the past three years are indicative of improved productivity at the lower trophic levels along the NL bioregion (2HJ3KLNOPs). This includes earlier phytoplankton blooms, higher chlorophyll concentrations, and increased zooplankton biomass with a higher abundance of larger, more energy-rich Calanus copepods.
• The ecosystems in the NL bioregion continue to experience overall low productivity conditions, with total biomass well below pre-collapse levels. While the fish community has returned to a finfish-dominated structure, groundfish rebuilding stalled in the mid-2010s, where biomass declines were observed. In the most recent years with data available (2019-21), ecosystem indicators (e.g., biomass trends, stomach content weights) appeared to be improving, but the lack of surveys in 2022 prevented the evaluation of these trends in the current assessment.
• Predation mortality of Snow Crab declined across ecosystem units from the peak values observed in the mid-late 2010s. The most recent values of the fish predation mortality index (2019-21) was highest in 2J3K and lowest in 3LNO, with intermediate values in 3Ps.

This Science Advisory Report is from the February 20–21, 2023 regional peer review on Stock Assessment of Snow Crab in 2HJ3KLNOP4R. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

Science Advisory Report 2023/044 (PDF, 2,895 KB)

Data sets:

• Newfoundland and Labrador climate index

Accessibility Notice

This document is available in PDF format. If the document is not accessible to you, please contact the Secretariat to obtain another appropriate format, such as regular print, large print, Braille or audio version.