Spatial evidence for information exchange and competition in the Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab ( Chionoecetes opilio ) fishery

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: Gillis, Darren M, Wade, Elmer, Swain, Douglas P
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2006
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Canada; Chionoecetes opilio; Snow crab
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f05-211; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f05-211

Throughout the 1990s, the Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) harvest provided an example of effective co-management in a developing fishery. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the snow crab fleet (the fleet) shared information that coordinated management and exploitation throughout the season. A preseason survey by DFO provided resource distributions prior to the fishery's opening. In-season monitoring allowed managers to track spatial and temporal variation in crab availability. This level of detail allowed the application of the ideal free distribution as a management and conservation tool. However, proper justification for its application requires the demonstration of information exchange and competitive effects. The spatial distribution of effort suggests that both of these are present. Fishing effort was influenced by public information and potential information exchange within the fleet. Reduced aggregation at smaller spatial scales suggests competition in trap placement. Thus, increasing fleet size may have a disproportionately small impact on fishing mortality because of limitations in information exchange and the lack of personal information in the new vessels. However, the nonlinear relationship between crab abundance and catch rates suggests that managers should avoid policies that increase fishing effort during times of low crab abundance.