Deep-Sea Red Crab Specification Package for Fishing Years 2014-2016 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Deep-Sea Red Crab Specification Package for Fishing Years 2014-2016

SSC Meeting Presentation Red Crab PDT August 21, 2013

Red Crab - #2

Previous SSC Recommendations

• April 28, 2010:
• Given data-poor condition of assessment, there is

insufficient information to estimate MSY or OFL for deep-sea red crab

• Interim ABC should be based on long-term average

landings of males

• Landings should be limited to 1,775 mt males
• Interim ABC based on long-term average landings is

safely below an overfishing threshold and adequately accounts for scientific uncertainty

• June 23, 2010:
• Sustainability of future landings at or below the

recommended ABC is conditional on not exceeding past discard rates

• Inclusion of dead discards in red crab catch limits

requires improved monitoring of the magnitude

• f discards and research on discard mortality

Previous SSC Recommendations

Updated Landings Information

• 2010-2012 landings were lower than Total Allowable Landings (TAL) limit
• 2010-2012 landings are consistent with average landings since 2000
• Market-driven fishery, landings reflect market demand (J. Williams)

Updated LPUE Information

• LPUE data interpreted from VTR reports using same method as

developed in 2006

• LPUE appears stable in 2010-2012 and shows an increasing trend since

2007

Updated Port Sample Information

• 2010-2012 mean size of landed males is consistent with average landed

size since 2001 (2011 sampling included landed females)

• Differences in landed size between three fished areas, reflecting market

demand in southern region of fishery

1 2 3 2011 Port Sampled Carapace Width

Discard Information

• No new method to determine dead discards
• VTR-reported discards range from 5-1000% of landings
• Low level of at-sea monitoring in red crab fishery
• Ongoing research to improve estimates of discard rates and discard

mortality

– Conducted cooperatively by Imam Syuhada and Joe DeAlteris (URI) and Jon Williams – Comparison of size distribution in 2003-2005 and 2010 tagging studies with 2012-2013 port sampling – Length-Based Catch Curve Analysis to estimate the level of fishing mortality that would explain the observed size frequency distributions for male and female crabs

Economic Impacts

• 2010-2012 prices slightly above average
• No direct or indirect economic impacts from status quo

1,775 mt TAL

Fishing Year Landed Weight Price per Pound Revenue 2002 4,673,214 $0.86 $4,004,752 2003 4,091,659 $0.85 $3,491,683 2004 4,930,204 $0.94 $4,617,380 2005 4,079,670 $0.90 $3,661,860 2006 3,841,577 $0.90 $3,474,953 2007 2,771,501 $0.92 $2,557,421 2008 2,857,162 $1.01 $2,876,510 2009 2,773,776 $0.96 $2,612,782 2010 2,743,868 $0.97 $2,669,185 2011 3,343,902 $0.97 $3,253,621 2012 2,898,962 $1.00 $2,898,962 Average 3,542,318 $0.93 $3,283,555

PDT Analysis

• Updated landings, LPUE, port samples do not indicate any

signs of stock decline

• No update to assessment since Data Poor Working Group

(2009)

• Insufficient information to determine OFL, MSY
• No new method for discard estimation
• No direct or indirect economic impacts from status quo catch
• PDT consensus for status quo interim ABC of 1,775 mt males

Total Allowable Landings (TAL) for fishing years 2014-2016