NR-HQ-00-15E

Dhaliwal announces reductions in Harvest levels for Newfoundland Snow Crab

April 13, 2000

OTTAWA -- Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced an overall reduction of 25% in harvest levels for the snow crab fishery in Divisions 2J3KLNO in Newfoundland. This overall reduction includes a 30% reduction in Division 2J, a 30% reduction in 3K and a 20% reduction in 3LNO. There will be no change in harvest levels for 3Ps and 4R3Pn.

"This fishery is very important for Newfoundland and our utmost concern is the conservation of the resource," Mr. Dhaliwal said. "The scientific analysis has raised a warning flag and we are taking the necessary measures to ensure the future health of the stock."

Following extensive consultations with industry, several other measures are also being implemented to address conservation of the snow crab resource. These include: a 2-month closure to minimize mortality of soft-shelled crab; projects with crab and shrimp fishermen to study the impact of the shrimp fishery on snow crab resources; enhanced observer coverage to further scientific understanding of the resource; and, increased education programs to improve on-board handling of soft-shelled crab.

"Similar to other crab fisheries in the Gulf region, Alaska and Russia, we have known for some time that this stock is variable and subject to cycles of large increases followed by declines," Mr. Dhaliwal added. "In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of this resource, we will continue to manage it responsibly and proceed on the basis that it may take some time for the stock to increase in abundance once the current decline has bottomed out."

The fall 1999 bottom trawl survey indicated a reduction in biomass of about 45% and poor prospects for recruitment for 2000. The causes of the decline may be attributed to a number of factors including bitter crab disease, increasing water temperatures, cannibalism, increased fishing effort and mortality resulting from handling.

Unlike other fisheries, such as groundfish, only very select parts of the mature male snow crab population are harvested. The fishery is conducted in such a way that only large males, which would soon die, are harvested. Thus, it protects a spawning population and the reproductive potential of the resource. A size limit of 95 millimeters protects all females (who never reach 95 millimeters) as well as small mature males. In addition, all of the traps used in this fishery have mesh sizes that allow the escape of most crab less than 95 millimeters.

"Conservation has been, and will always be, the guiding principle for the management of this stock," Mr. Dhaliwal said. "It is imperative that we heed the warning signals and work together to ensure the future sustainability and continued profitability of this very important fishery."

The three-year snow crab management plan, introduced in 1999 and developed in consultation with industry, made it very clear that high harvest levels may not be sustainable due to uncertainty in the biomass indices and the prospects for recruitment in the intermediate term. In previous years, both the stock status reports and the fishing plans noted that the stock would be subject to declines.

"As a result of lowered quotas, reduced access to the snow crab fishery is inevitable and will unfortunately affect a number of individuals," Mr. Dhaliwal said. "Extensive consultation was held with industry, who suggested a range of management measures from status quo to both increases and decreases in harvest levels."

The plan indicates that for most areas, in the event of harvest level declines, reductions will be shared pro-rata by fleets who share the allocations in the area where these declines occur. For areas outside 200 miles in 3LNO, in the event of quota declines in these areas, all reductions will occur for the exploratory licence holders in the reverse order that allocations were made until the overall 3LNO harvest levels outside 200 miles is reduced to 5,250t. Harvest level reductions lower than this base level will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all fleets fishing in this area.

"It is evident from the scientific analysis and the cyclical nature of crab stocks that there will be a further decline in the stock biomass before we start seeing any increase," Mr. Dhaliwal said. "We are not sure how long it will take for the decline to bottom out. In the meantime, my officials will be working closely with stakeholders over the next few months to develop a process to implement further adjustments in quota levels across the fleets."