État des stocks de crabe des neiges (Chionoecetes opilio) de l'estuaire et du nord du golfe du Saint-Laurent (zones 13 à 17, 12A, 12B, 12C et 16A) en 2024

Abstract

We describe the status of the nine snow crab stocks in the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence (nGSL), using a range of indicators derived from the commercial fisheries (logbooks, at-sea observations and dockside monitoring) as well as fishery-independent data (DFO trawl surveys and post-season scientific trap surveys). The analysis also considers temporal trends in indices that characterize suitable thermal habitat for snow crab. In 2024, total landings reached 6,294 tonnes (t), suggesting that stocks have recovered after a period (2019–2020) of low recruitment and biomass decline that was observed in all fishing areas. This critical period coincided with the suspension of two trawl surveys and a significant reduction in at-sea observer coverage due to the pandemic, which increased the uncertainty in stock assessments. Fishery-independent surveys recorded an exceptional abundance of berried (spawning) females between 2018 and 2022 in the eastern portion of the nGSL (from Havre-Saint-Pierre to Blanc-Sablon), as well as two years later in the western portion (west of Havre-Saint-Pierre, including the Estuary). The resulting cohorts began to show up in the most recent surveys in the Sept-Îles area (crabs < 10 mm), but were not detected along the Lower North Shore in 2024. In recent years, a significant proportion of males have undergone their terminal moult before reaching legal size, limiting harvesting opportunities and potential catches in the Estuary and parts of the nGSL. In 2024, this situation was showing signs of improvement along the Lower North Shore, but persisted in the Estuary. High concentrations of adolescents measuring 62– 78 mm observed along the Lower North Shore in 2024 suggest potential recruitment to the fishery in the years ahead, while short-term recruitment prospects in the Estuary remain uncertain.