Effect of A Voluntary Fishing Moratorium on an Inshore Stock of Snow Crab

• Main Authors: Neville, Victoria, Hooper, Robert G.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2012
• Subjects: Chionoecetes opilio; Newfoundland; Snow crab
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/14136/; https://research.library.mun.ca/14136/1/Neville_SnowCrab.pdf

The snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland were not harvested commercially until the mid 1990s. Prior to this, in the 1960’s, exploratory surveys occurred in Bonne Bay (NAFO zone 12G) and elsewhere throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Hare and Dunn, 1993). These surveys reported low abundance of snow crab in Bonne Bay with little economic value. By the 1990’s however, while groundfish stocks were declining, the population of snow crab in Bonne Bay had increased in abundance and a market for snow crab product was developed.