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

Dates of season for Snow Crab fishery in areas 2J, 3KLNO, 3Ps, and 4R3Pn (Newfoundland and Labrador)
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.

Snow Crab Quotas 2013
AREA 2013 Quota (t)
2J 1,765
3K 8,449
3LNO 34,351
3Ps 6,467
4R3Pn 1,067
Total Quota 52,099
2013 QUOTAS (t) – DIVISION 2J
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

2013 QUOTAS (t) – DIVISION 3K
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
2013 QUOTAS (t) DIVISION 3LNO Inside 200 Miles
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
2013 Quotas Outside 200 Miles
FLEET Total
3L Fulltime 1,439
3L Supplementary (> 40 grt) 2,965
Fixed gear vessels > 65’ 866
TOTAL 5,270
2013 QUOTAS (t) – DIVISION 3Ps
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
2013 QUOTAS (t) – DIVISION 4R3Pn
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