Terms of Reference

Stock Status Update of Eastern Scotian Shelf and Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Fishing Area 4X Snow Crab

Regional Science Response Process – Maritimes Region

March 3, 2016
Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Lottie Bennett

Context

Snow Crab (Chionoecetes opilio, O. Fabricius) is a subarctic species with a distribution from northern Labrador to near the Gulf of Maine. The Snow Crab fishery on the Scotian Shelf has been in existence since the early-1970s. An assessment of Nova Scotia (4VWX) Snow Crab was undertaken on February 25, 2014 (DFO 2014), with a stock update anticipated for 2015. However, due to a change in research survey vessel it was decided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) that a full assessment would subsequently be undertaken in that year. As such, the last Snow Crab assessment science advisory meeting was held February 24, 2015 (DFO 2015). The objective of this science response update is to peer review a draft 2016 Stock Status Update report in support of management decisions to be made for the 2016 Scotian Shelf Snow Crab fishery.

Objectives

Objectives of the science response update are:

• Report on overall status of the Eastern Nova Scotia and 4X snow crab stocks as of the end of the 2015 season.
• Report on relative abundance after the 2015 season and relative exploitation rates during 2015.
• Report on the bycatch of non-target species in the snow crab fishery in 2015 and identify any notable changes in the occurrence of these bycatch species relative to previous years.
• Report on consequences of different harvest levels for 2016 fisheries on stock abundance and exploitation rate.

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management

Reference

DFO. 2014. Assessment of Nova Scotia (4VWX) Snow Crab. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2014/033.

DFO. 2015. Assessment of Nova Scotia (4VWX) Snow Crab. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2015/034.