Research Document - 2016/082
Status of major snow crab stocks in the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2014 (areas 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17)
By Jean Lambert and Jean-Paul Dallaire
Abstract
The status of key snow crab stocks in the coastal areas of the estuary and the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence is determined based on commercial fishery indicators, post season trap surveys and trawl surveys.
In 2014, landings varied from 5,527 tons in Area 16 to 234 tons in Area 13. They were increasing and above average for the years from 1992 to 2013 in all areas except for Area 17, where they were considerably below average. They were at an all-time high in Areas 15 and 16. The TAC was reached in all areas except Area 17. Gradual and cyclical variations were observed in most stocks. There are sometimes significant differences between the areas and even between adjacent stocks. Environmental differences and variable exploitation intensities have been used to explain the differences between stocks. North Shore stocks are characterized by a positive gradient in the average size of adult males from east to west, which is associated with the temperature at which snow crabs develop.
In 2014, stocks in the Middle and Lower North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 13, 14, 15, 16) had a high commercial biomass. Recruitment to the fishery is still high, but may decrease starting in 2016 or 2017 based on the post-season and trawl survey data. Conversely, the commercial biomass is low in Area 17, but recruitment to the fishery has started to rebound.
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