Notice of decision - 6.1(3) of the Fisheries Act
2025 - Snow crab (North-Eastern Nova Scotia)

The Minister of Fisheries has relied on subsection 6.1(2) of the Fisheries Act in the 2025 management decision for the snow crab stock found off North-Eastern Nova Scotia (N-ENS), which is prescribed as a major fish stock under Item 25 of Schedule IX (Section 69) of the Fishery (General) Regulations, and which occurs in crab fishing areas (CFA) 20-22, as defined by the Atlantic Fishery Regulations, 1985 (Schedule XI). For this purpose, the Minister used the limit reference point that forms part of the current stock assessment framework (25 per cent of estimated carrying capacity, which for 2024 is 1.4 kt).

Stock(s): Snow crab, N-ENS

Rationale: In 2023, 50 harvesters landed $4.9 million in snow crab and $9.5 million in other species, with a 34 per cent reliance on snow crab.

In 2025, the N-ENS snow crab stock declined into the cautious zone of the precautionary approach framework. When the stock is in the cautious zone, the established harvest control rules for this fishery set a target range of exploitation of 0 to 20 per cent of the fishable biomass. The upper limit of this range (20 per cent exploitation rate) represents 540 tonnes, a 42 per cent reduction in TAC compared to the 2024 TAC (and a 44 per cent reduction compared to the 2023 TAC). This would translate to lower landings per licence holder, combined with an expected lower landed value in 2025.

These compounding factors would result in heightened adverse socio-economic impacts for licence holders (significant reduction in revenue), in a fishery that is already facing economic uncertainty due to the current market dynamics and lack of predictability of catch due to climate change.

Because of these adverse socio-economic impacts, the Minister used the Limit Reference Point (LRP) that forms part of the current stock assessment framework (1.4 kt) to set the 2025 TAC at 697 tonnes, representing a 26 per cent exploitation rate of the fishable biomass (a 25 per cent reduction compared to the 2024 TAC).

Despite this TAC falling outside the harvest control rules, this measure is expected to maintain the stock above the LRP in the short-term. Should stock health conditions remain the same, more significant TAC reductions would be considered in future years with the objective of bringing the stock back into the healthy zone.

Dates of season: April 10 to August 18, 2025

Date of decision: April 24, 2025

Sources:

• Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)
• The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Advisory Reports on stock status