NR-HQ-01-36E

Dhaliwal announces continued local economic benefits for Eastern Nova Scotia snow crab fishery

May 2, 2001

OTTAWA -- Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced an increase in snow crab quota for the eastern Nova Scotia snow crab fishery for 2001. Overall, quotas will increase by almost 90 tonnes to 9889 tonnes, which follows a three-fold increase last year. This fishery had a landed value of $53 million in 2000.

"Fishers and coastal communities will continue to benefit economically from increased quotas," said Minister Dhaliwal. "However, we must keep in mind that the increases we have seen are temporary in nature and that conservation remains a key concern now and in the coming years."

This particular stock off eastern Nova Scotia has been well surveyed and shows there is sufficient biomass to maintain the overall quota for the 2001 season. Area 24 is the only area where there is scientific evidence of a reduction in the biomass and therefore the TAC was reduced in that area.

Crab stocks are cyclical in nature and since 1999, when significant quota increases were first introduced, there has always been an expectation that the level of exploitation could not be sustained over the long term. In recent years, the industry and DFO have undertaken a co-management approach and have established management boards and community management applications which will better prepare the industry to weather any future declines in quotas.

Representatives of non-adjacent, core fishermen requested an early season opening because of concerns over product quality and processing capacity in eastern Nova Scotia created by a short fishing season. The fishery in the outer unsurveyed portions of Crab Fishing Areas (CFA) 23 and 24 will open June 1. The department recognized the input of all other snow crab fishing groups as well as the shrimp and groundfish sectors who fish those areas at the same time. The surveyed portions of those areas (CFAs 23 a, b and c, and 24 a, b, c and e) will open July 1. An early opening of the surveyed areas would lead to a direct conflict with scientific trawl surveys as well as a potential gear conflict with the shrimp fleet which historically has fished these areas at this time.

"With the June 1 opening of the outer portions of CFAs 23 and 24 and the inner areas of CFAs 23 and 24 opening July 1, along with a four-month season, we have addressed the issues raised by the non-adjacent core groups." said Minister Dhaliwal. "It is now up to the industry to ensure that the benefit to local economies is maximized."

CFAs 20 - 22 will open in late July as recommended by the industry.

This is the second year of the three-year plan for CFAs 23 and 24 announced in 2000. CFAs 20-22 will be managed under a one-year plan. These plans continue with the co-management approach used in this fishery and address the common goals of conservation and resource sharing. As in 2000, access will be granted to current licence holders and temporary access will be granted to core adjacent fishermen, First Nations, and non-adjacent core fishermen in Cape Breton.

Below are measures announced for the 2001 fishing season for each CFA:

CFA 20

The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) will remain at 118t (68t to the permanent fleet, 50t to the temporary fleet in the "non-traditional" area).

CFA 21

The TAC will remain at 363t.

CFA 22

An increase in TAC from 534t to 585t. The entire increase of 51 t will be fished in the outer portion of the area.

CFA 23

An increase in TAC from 4,425t to 4,761t.

That portion of CFA 23 designated as 23D will open June 1.

The remainder of CFA 23 will open July 1.

CFA 24

A decrease in TAC from 4,375t to 4,062t.

That portion of CFA 24 designated as 24D will open June 1.

The remainder of CFA 24 will open July 1.

The Management Plan for CFAs 23 and 24 includes a sharing formula, which identifies the level of temporary access. Distribution of quota within the CFA will be based on the information provided by science.