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Research Document - 1999/011

The 1998 assessment of snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, stock in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12-15/26, 18, 19, E and F). / Évaluation du 1998 du stock de crabe des neiges, Chionoecetes opilio, dans le sud du golfe du St-Laurent (zones 12-25/26, 18, 19, E et F).

By M. Hébert, E. Wade, P. DeGrâce, A. Hébert, M. Biron and M. Moriyasu.

Abstract

The 1998 assessment of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, stock (Areas 12-25/26, 18, 19, E and F) was done using data from the commercial fishery (fishermen's logbooks, observer data, purchase slips from processing plants and quota monitoring reports) and trawl survey in Areas 12, 19, E and F. No trawl survey was done in Area 18 off Cape Breton in 1998. In 1998 landings were 13,413 t in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12-25/26, 18 and 19) with an average catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of 46.1 kg/trap haul and a total fishing effort of 290,663 trap haul. The 1998 landings for exploratory Zones E and F were 161 and 290 t respectively. The CPUE was 28.6 kg/trap haul in Zone E and 48.1 kg/trap haul in Zone F. Fishing effort was estimated at 5,624 trap haul in Zone E and 6,035 trap haul in Zone F. The total harvestable biomass (B) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Areas 12-25/26 and 19) for the 1999 fishing season was estimated at 31,345 t ± 6,639 t (95 % confidence limits). The recruitment to the fishery (R) was estimated at 17,116 t ± 5,387 t.

Given the increase of pre-recruits (R-3) since 1994 and pre-recruits (R-2) since 1997, the harvestable biomass (B) in the southern Gulf of Saint- Lawrence will start to increase gradually within a few years. A harvest at an exploitation rate of 45 percent would not exceed the predicted recruitment for 1999, and thus would not result in change in the exploitable biomass. The harvestable biomass have reached its lowest level since 1992. One third of this biomass is composed of older crabs with carapace conditions 4 and 5 of which 2,200 t are very old crab that will mate and die and not be available for the 199 fishing season. However, an increase of recruitment to the fishery is expected in the near future (within a couple of years) and incidence of soft-shelled crabs is expected to increase in 1999-2000.

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