Snow Crab Fishing Areas 2J, 3KLNO, 3Ps, 4R3Pn - Season 2013
Species and Area
Snow Crab fishery in areas 2J, 3KLNO, 3Ps, and 4R3Pn (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Dates of season
AREA | 2013 Season Dates |
---|---|
2J | 2J North: June 15 – August 30 2J South: May 7 – July 15 |
3K | 3A: April 8 - June 30 3B, 3BC: April 8 – June 15 3C April 29 – June 15 3D: April 8 – June 15 4: April 8 – June 15 |
3LNO | April 5 – July 31 |
3Ps | April 5 – June 15 10A: April 5 – July 15 11: April 5 – June 30 |
4R3Pn | April 5 – June 30 |
All season closure dates are subject to modification if there is a high incidence of soft- shell Crab encountered in the fishery. An individual quota (IQ) is not a guarantee the Crab will be landed. The season closure dates in NAFO Division 3K will not be extended.
Total Allowable Catch
The Total Allowable Catch for 2013 is 52,099 tonnes, a decrease of less than one percent from 2012. This includes quota reductions of approximately ten percent in Divisions 2HJ and 3K and a slight quota increase of less than one percent in 3LNO. The total allowable catch in Sub-division 3Ps and Division 4R will remain unchanged in 2013.
AREA | 2013 Quota (t) |
---|---|
2J | 1,765 |
3K | 8,449 |
3LNO | 34,351 |
3Ps | 6,467 |
4R3Pn | 1,067 |
Total Quota | 52,099 |
Description | Inshore | Supplementary | Fulltime | Communal | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2J North of 54° 40’ N | 310 | 310 | |||
2J Offshore | 970 | 195 | 1,175 | ||
2J Inshore | 290 | 290 | |||
Total | 290 | 970 | 195 | 310 | 1,765 |
Area | Description | Inshore | Supplementary | Fulltime | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3A | Canada Bay | 330 | 330 | ||
3B | White Bay | 460 | 460 | ||
3C | Green Bay | 495 | 495 | ||
3D | Fogo/Twillingate | 968 | 968 | ||
3BC | Inshore 3K | 196 | 196 | ||
4 | Nearshore 3K | 25 | 25 | ||
4 | Offshore 3K | 4,580 | 1,395 | 5,975 | |
Total | 2,474 | 4,580 | 1,395 | 8,449 |
Area | Description | Inshore | Small Supplementary |
Large Supplementary |
Fulltime | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5A | Bonavista Bay | 1,390 | 1,390 | |||
6A | Trinity Bay | 1,290 | 1,290 | |||
6B | Conception Bay | 1,550 | 1,550 | |||
6C | Eastern Avalon (inside 25) | 1,599 | 1,599 | |||
8A | Southern Shore (inside 25) | 1,197 | 1,197 | |||
9A | St. Mary’s Bay | 682 | 682 | |||
NS | Near Shore | 6,424 | 6,424 | |||
MS | Mid Shore | 3,795 | 761 | 815 | 5,371 | |
8B | Southern Avalon (offshore) | 650 | 650 | |||
8Bx | Southern Avalon | 2,326 | 2,326 | |||
MS EX | Mid-shore extended | 1,920 | 1,860 | 3,780 | ||
3L EX | Between 170 and 200 miles | 1,652 | 1,170 | 2,822 | ||
Total | 7,708 | 13,195 | 4,333 | 3,845 | 29,081 |
FLEET | Total |
---|---|
3L Fulltime | 1,439 |
3L Supplementary (> 40 grt) | 2,965 |
Fixed gear vessels > 65’ | 866 |
TOTAL | 5,270 |
AREA | Description | Inshore | Supplementary | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
10A | Placentia Bay north of 46°30’N | 2,212 | 2,212 | |
10BCD | CFA 10 from 46°30’N to 45°35’N | 3,000 | 3,000 | |
10X | CFA 10 south of 45°35’N | 500 | 500 | |
11S | CFA 11 south of 46°30’N (> 35’ fleet) | 55 | 230 | 285 |
11E | CFA 11East of Western head | 280 | 280 | |
11W | CFA 11 West of Western head | 50 | 50 | |
11SX | 140 | 140 | ||
Total | 2,737 | 3,730 | 6,467 |
Area | Description | Inshore | Commercial | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
South of Table Pt., 3Pn (outside 8) Group 1 | 38 | 38 | ||
South of Table Pt., 3Pn (outside 8) Group 2 | 307 | 307 | ||
South of Table Pt., 3Pn (outside 8) Group 3 | 73 | 73 | ||
Bay of Islands | 64 | 64 | ||
Bay St. George | 23 | 23 | ||
12A | Lapoile Bay | 8 | 8 | |
12B | Cape Ray to Johnson’s Cove | 18 | 18 | |
12C | Johnson’s Cove to Cape St. George | 164 | 164 | |
12D | Cape St. George to Bear Head | 76 | 76 | |
12E | Bear Head to Cape St. Gregory | 56 | 56 | |
12F | Inner Bay of Islands | 54 | 54 | |
12G | Cape St. Gregory to Broom Point | 130 | 130 | |
12H | Broom Point to Table Point | 56 | 56 | |
Total | 562 | 505 | 1,067 |
Management Measures
This is the second year of an evergreen multi-year Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP). The IFMP document will be updated in the spring of 2013 and will be available online.
The management approach supports sustainability of the Snow crab resource, and recognizes improvements in the resource due to recent management measures developed between Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists, fisheries managers and Crab harvesters. This approach includes the continuation of early and shortened fishing seasons, mandatory sorting of undersized Crab on deck, improved soft-shell protocols with effective monitoring, at-sea observer coverage, quota increases in some areas that showed improvements in 2012 and quota decreases in areas where the resource has declined.
Some fleets will be ready to fish immediately. An early opening in these areas is essential to providing the best opportunity to avoid high incidence of soft-shell during the fishery and to spread the landings over a longer period of time, consistent with market considerations and the Ocean-to-Plate direction. In addition, grid based soft-shell protocols are continued in all areas. Areas closed as a result of soft-shell Crab will remain closed for the remainder of the year. All season closure dates are subject to modification if there is a high incidence of soft-shell Crab encountered in the fishery. An individual quota (IQ) does not guarantee that all Crab will be landed. The season closure dates in 3K are of particular importance. The soft- shell protocol will become ineffective if the level of soft- shell encountered is significant. The best protection for the Crab is to not allow a prolonged fishery. The season closure, even if there are significant amount of quota un-harvested is critical to minimizing the handling mortality.
The use of biodegradable twine in all Snow crab traps in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region will be mandatory in 2013 in an effort to address ghost fishing of lost traps.
Beginning in 2013, DFO will reallocate, in-season, unused crab quota in Division 2J and 3K to active harvesters. This will be subject to Total Allowable Catch limits and conservation.
Area specific measures
Division 2J
- Allocations to the Nunatsiavut Government in 2H and 2J north will be reduced by fifteen percent in 2013.
- The remaining Snow crab allocations in Divisions 2J will decrease by ten percent in 2013.
Division 3K
The overall Snow crab quota in Division 3K will decrease by eleven percent in 2013 to 8,449 tonnes from 9,438 tonnes in 2012.
- Area 3K Offshore quota will be reduced by twelve percent.
- Areas 3A, 3B and 3BC allocations will remain unchanged.
- Area 3C allocations will be reduced by twelve percent.
- Area 3D allocations will be reduced by twelve percent.
Division 3LNO:
The overall quota allocation of Snow Crab in 3LNO will be increased by two percent, from 33,612 tonnes in 2012 to 34,351 tonnes in 2013.
Outside 200 mile limit
Total allocations outside the 200 mile limit will increase by three percent.
- Allocations in 3NO will increase by five percent.
Inside 200 mile limit
The overall quota allocation of Snow crab in 3LNO (Inside 200) will be increased by one percent, from 28,791 tonnes in 2012 to 29,081 tonnes in 2013.
- Offshore allocations in areas Mid-shore, Mid-Shore Extended, and 8B will not change in 2013.
- Offshore allocations in 8BX south will be decreased by sixteen percent in 2013.
- Offshore allocations in Nearshore will be increased by 7.5 percent in 2013.
- Inshore allocations in area 5A will increase by six percent in 2013.
- Inshore allocations in areas 6A will increase by five percent in 2013.
- Inshore allocations in areas 6C, 8A and 9A will not change in 2013
- Inshore allocations in area 6B will increase by eleven percent in 2013.
Subdivision 3Ps
The overall quota allocation for Snow crab in Sub- division 3Ps will remain unchanged in 2013.
Division 4R and Subdivision 3Pn
The allocations for Area 4R3Pn will remain unchanged in 2013.
Links to other information
The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Advisory Reports on stock status /csas/Csas/Home-Accueil_e.htm
Newfoundland and Labrador Region Statistical Reports
http://nfl02.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/publications/reports_rapports/reports_rapports_Eng.htm
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