2021 Snow Crab Fishery, Newfoundland and Labrador - Snow Crab fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador (Areas 2HJ, 3KLNO, 3Ps, and 4R3Pn)
Fishing season
The following table contains three columns. The first column lists each NAFO Division. The second column lists the Crab Fishing Area. The third column lists the 2021 season dates.
| NAFO Division | Crab Management Area | 2021 Season Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 2HJ | 2H, 2J North | TBD |
| 2J south | All fleets | TBD |
| 3K | 3A | April 19 – July 15 |
| 3BC, 4 | April 14 – June 30 | |
| 3B, 3D | April 19 – June 30 | |
| 3C | April 26 – June 30 | |
| 3LNO | 8Bx south | April 5 – July 15 |
| Most Fleets | April 5 – July 31 | |
| 3Ps | All fleets | April 5 – June 30 |
| 4R3Pn | All fleets | April 5 – June 15 |
Total allowable catch
The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Newfoundland and Labrador Region in 2021 is 38,186 tonnes, an overall quota level increase of 29% from 2020. This includes a 20% decrease in 2HJ, a 16% increase in 3K, a 34% increase in 3LNO, a 53% increase in the 3Ps quota, a 35% increase in 4R3Pn, and a status quo for the Collaborative Post-Season Trap Survey (Use of Fish) quota.
The following table contains two columns. The first column lists the area. The second column lists the quota in tonnes. The last row identifies the total allowable catch.
| Area | Quota (t)* |
|---|---|
| 2HJ | 1,287 |
| 3K | 7,454 |
| 3LNO | 23,648 |
| 3Ps | 5,047 |
| 4R3Pn | 350 |
| CPS Trap Survey | 400 |
| Total | 38,186 |
The following table contains five columns. The first column lists the Crab Management Area. The second column lists the area description. The third column lists the inshore quota(s). The fourth column lists the fulltime - large supplementary quotas. The fifth column lists the communal quota.
| Division 2HJ 2021 quotas (t) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Description | Inshore | Fulltime & Supplementary | Communal |
| 2H | North of 56o 00’ N | - | - | 100 |
| 2J north | North of 54o 40’ N to 56o 00’ N | - | - | 198 |
| 2J south | South of 54° 40’ N | 197 | 792 | - |
The 2HJ TAC is 1,287 tonnes.
The following table contains four columns. The first column lists the Crab Management Area. The second column lists the area description. The third column lists the inshore quota(s). The fourth column lists the fulltime - large supplementary quotas.
| Division 3K 2021 quotas (t) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Description | Inshore | Fulltime & supplementary |
| 3A | Canada Bay | 321 | - |
| 3B | White Bay | 365 | - |
| 3C | Green Bay | 500 | - |
| 3BC | Inshore 3K | 205 | - |
| 3D | Fogo/Twillingate | 974 | - |
| 4 | Offshore | 22 | 5,066 |
The 3K TAC is 7,454 tonnes.
The following table contains six columns. The first column lists the Crab Management Area. The second column lists the area description. The third column lists the inshore quota(s). The fourth column lists the small supplementary or commercial quotas. The fifth column lists the fulltime - large supplementary quotas. The sixth column lists the greater than 65 foot quotas.
| Divisions 3LNO 2021 quotas (t) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Description | Inshore | Small supplementary |
Fulltime & supplementary | > 65' |
| 5A | Bonavista Bay | 891 | - | - | - |
| 6A | Trinity Bay | 1,089 | - | - | - |
| 6B | Conception Bay | 576 | - | - | - |
| 6C | Eastern Avalon (inside 25) | 475 | - | - | - |
| 8A | Southern Shore (inside 25) | 417 | - | - | - |
| 9A | St. Mary’s Bay | 250 | - | - | - |
| 8B | Southern Avalon (offshore) | - | 629 | - | - |
| 8Bx | Southern Avalon | - | 88 | - | - |
| 8Bx North | Northern portion of Southern Avalon | - | 360 | - | - |
| 8Bx South | Southern portion of Southern Avalon | - | 497 | - | - |
| NS | Nearshore | - | 3,804 | - | - |
| MS | Midshore | - | 4,181 | 1,735 | - |
| MS/EX | Mid-shore extended | - | - | 4,138 | - |
| 3L EX | Between 170 and 200 miles | - | - | 2,896 | - |
| 3L 200 | 3L Outside 200 miles | - | - | 927 | - |
| 3N 200 | 3N Outside 200 miles | - | - | 496 | - |
| 3NO 200 | 3NO Outside 200 miles | - | - | - | 199 |
The 3LNO TAC is 23,648 tonnes.
The following table contains four columns. The first column lists the Crab Management Area. The second column lists the area description. The third column lists the inshore quota(s). The fourth column lists the small supplementary quota(s).
| Sub-division 3Ps 2021 quotas (t) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Description | Inshore | Small supplementary |
| 10A | Placentia Bay north of 46o30’N | 2,016 | - |
| 10B | Placentia Bay south of 46o30’N | - | 2,526 |
| 11S | CFA 11 south of 46o30’N | 169 | 186 |
| 11E | CFA 11 east of Western Head | 119 | - |
| 11W | CFA 11 west of Western Head | 33 | - |
The 3Ps TAC is 5,047 tonnes.
The following table contains four columns. The first column lists the Crab Management Area. The second column lists the area description. The third column lists the inshore quota(s). The fourth column lists the commercial quotas.
| Division 4R3Pn 2021 quotas (t) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Description | Inshore | Commercial |
| 12 | Outside of 8 mile - Group 1 | - | 8 |
| 12 | Outside of 8 mile - Group 2 | - | 58 |
| 12 | Outside of 8 mile - Group 3 | - | 14 |
| 12 | Bay of Islands | - | 38 |
| 12 | Bay St. George | - | 18 |
| 12A | Lapoile Bay | 2 | - |
| 12B | Cape Ray to Johnson’s Cove | 4 | - |
| 12C | Johnson’s Cove to Cape St. George | 116 | - |
| 12D | Cape St. George to Bear Head | 19 | - |
| 12E | Bear Head to Cape St. Gregory | 32 | - |
| 12F | Inner Bay of Islands | 32 | - |
| 12G | Cape St. Gregory to Broom Point | CLOSED | - |
| 12H | Broom Point to Table Point | 12 | - |
The 4R3Pn TAC is 350 tonnes.
The Collaborative Post-Season Trap Survey (Use of Fish) TAC is 400 tonnes.
The overall TAC is 38,186 tonnes.
Management measures
The proposed management approach for 2021 includes 6.4m limit of floating rope, the continuation of the soft-shell protocol, decreasing quota levels in Divisions 2HJ and increasing quota levels in Divisions 3K, 3LNO, 4R3Pn and Subdivision 3Ps.
Areas 3N outside 200 miles, 11E, 11W, 12A, 12B, 12D and 12H will operate under a harvesting cap management regime. 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. Grids closed for soft-shell crab in Shrimp Fishing Areas 4, 5 or 6 will also be closed to Shrimp harvesting for 60 days. 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.
Division 2HJ
The overall quota of Snow crab in 2HJ will be decreased by 20% in 2021 to 1,287 tonnes from 1,600 tonnes in 2020.
- Harvest levels in 2J North will be decreased by 25% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in 2J South will be decreased by 20% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in 2H will remain unchanged in 2021.
Division 3K
The overall quota of Snow crab in 3K will increase by 16% in 2021 to 7,454 tonnes from 6,412 tonnes in 2020.
- Harvest levels in 3D and 4 will be increased by 15% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in 3BC and 3C will be increased by 12% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in 3A and 3B will be increased by 10% in 2021.
Division 3LNO
The overall quota of Snow crab in 3LNO will be increased by 34% in 2021 to 23,648 tonnes from 17,587 tonnes in 2020.
- Harvest levels in areas 8Bx north and 8Bx south will be increased by 70% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in areas Midshore extended, 3L extended and 3L 200 will be increased by 40% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in the Nearshore and in 8A will be increased by 35% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in areas 5A, Midshore, 8B and 8Bx will be increased by 30% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in area 6C and 9A will be increased by 25% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in area 6B will be increased by 20% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in area 6A will be increased by 15% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in area 3NO 200 will be increased by 10% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in area 3N 200 will remain unchanged in 2021.
Subdivision 3Ps
The overall quota for Snow crab in Sub- division 3Ps will be increased by 53% in 2021 to 5,047 tonnes from 3,292 tonnes in 2020.
- Harvest levels in areas 10A will be increased by 60% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in areas 10B, 11S, and 11E will be increased by 50% in 2021
- Harvest levels for area 11W will remain unchanged in 2021.
Division 4R and Subdivision 3Pn
The overall quota for Snow crab in division 4R and sub-division 3Pn will be increased by 35% in 2021 to 350 tonnes from 260 tonnes in 2020.
- Harvest levels in areas 12C and Bay St. George will be increased by 75% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in areas 12E, 12F and Bay of Islands will be increased by 50% in 2021.
- Harvest levels in Outside of 8 miles will remain unchanged in 2021.
- Harvest caps in 12A, 12B and 12H will remain unchanged in 2021.
- Harvest caps in 12D will double in 2021.
- Area 12G will remain closed for the 2021 season.
In an effort to ensure the overall amount of crab allocated to harvesters does not exceed the quotas allocated, there may be some variance between the individual harvest level increases noted above and the total quota increases by Crab Management Area.
Links to other information
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