Stock Assessment:

During the early years of the snow crab fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, log book data form the fishers was used to estimate biomass (the number of crab) for the following season. Since 1988 a trawl survey has also been conducted.

Currently, the stock assessment is based on an analysis of fishing activities and a research trawl survey. Logbook data are used to describe the general distribution of fishing effort per section (grid) of 5 minutes of longitude by 5 minutes of latitude, and to estimate relative abundance of different categories of crab (under-sized and commercial-sized males, soft-shelled and white shell males). A trawl survey is undertaken immediately following the fishery and provides estimates of large-clawed, soft-shell males larger than 95mm that will be part of the exploitable biomass in the following year as new recruits. The survey also provides estimates of uncaught mature crab during the fishing season and the abundance of male and female crab at smaller size classes.

The resulting data allows fishers to visualize with maps and graphs the distribution and concentration of soft shell and commercially exploitable crabs. From this, fishers can avoid areas of high soft-shelled concentrations and target areas of hard commercial size crabs. The assessment also allows the industry as a whole to react to any stock increase or decrease by quotas moving up and down as the assessment permits.

Other research:

Other ad hoc research (outside of our Co-management obligations) may be conducted as the fishers continue to pursue a better understanding of the fishery and means of protecting it in the future. Some areas of interest include:

DFO Science Stock Status Reports:
http://www.mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/rap/internet/SSR_2006_029_E.pdf

Quota Landings:
https://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pls/secure/ql_inter_query?langE=en