NewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncil50 WATER STREET | NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS 01950 | PHONE 978 465 0492 | FAX 978 465 3116

John F. Quinn, J.D., Ph.D., Chairman | Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director

MEMORANDUM

DATE: July26,2019TO: Dr.JasonMcNamee,Chair,ScienceandStatisticalCommitteeFROM: JessicaGribbonJoyce,Chair,Deep-SeaRedCrabPlanDevelopment

TeamSUBJECT: PDTMemo-Deep-SeaRedCrabSpecificationsPackageforFishing

Years2020-2022ThepurposeoftheoftheDeep-seaRedCrabSpecificationPackageistosetappropriatespecificationsforfishingyears(FY)2020-2022andtoensurethatlandingsdonotexceedsustainablelevels,includingtheAcceptableBiologicalCatch(ABC)recommendedbytheScienceandStatisticalCommittee(SSC).BackgroundInformationThecurrentABCfortheredcrabfisheryisbasedontheoutputsofadepletion-correctedaveragecatch(DCAC)modelemployedduringthe2008NortheastDataPoorStocksWorkingGroup(DPSWG)meeting.DCACestimatesasustainableyieldbasedontheaveragecatchinafishery(averagelandingsusedforredcrab),adjustedbyfishery-independentestimatesofthedegreeofstockdepletionsinceinceptionofthefishery.Forredcrab,thedepletionestimateisbasedontwosurveys(1974&2003-2005)thatshowedcomparablebiomass,meaningminimalstockdepletionseemstohaveoccurredbetweenthosesurveys.Nosurveyshavebeenconductedsince2005.InitsreporttotheCouncilonApril28,2010,theSSCagreedthat“thePDTdemonstratedthattheDCACmodeldevelopedbytheDPSWGprovidesanestimateofsustainableyieldthatunderestimatesmaximumsustainableyield(MSY)”.Therefore,theSSCconcludedthat“theinformationavailableforredcrabisinsufficienttoestimateMSYoranoverfishinglimit(OFL)”.InlieuofanOFLestimate,theSSCrecommendedaninterimABCbasedonthelong-termaveragelandingsofmaleredcrab.TheDCACmodeloutputin2008wasasustainableyieldof1,775metrictons(mt).WhileOFLiscurrentlyunknown,theSSCconcludedthat“aninterimABCbasedonlong-termaveragelandingsissafelybelowanoverfishingthresholdandadequatelyaccountsforscientificuncertainty”intheApril28,2010reporttotheCouncil.

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WhileNMFShadalreadypublishedredcrabspecificationsforFY2010inMay20101(basedonrecommendationsfromaSeptember2009SSCmeeting),theCouncilrequestedtheSSCreconsidertheirABCrecommendationbasedonfindingsfromthisApril2010report.TheSSCthenrecommendedaninterimABCof1,775mt,andonAugust13,2010,NMFSpublishedaruleimplementingtheSSC’srevisedTACof1,775mtwithacorrespondingfleetallocationof665DAS.Amendment3totheRedCrabFMP2establishedthecurrentmethodforspecifyinganACLandAMs,andsettheTotalAllowableLandings(TAL)forredcrabforFY2011–2013.TheTALequaledthesustainableyieldderivedfromtheDCACmodel,whichisalsoequivalenttotheABC.SpecificationssinceAmendment3haveusedthismethod.Thus,theTALhasremainedat1,775mtsinceFY2011(notwithstandingthesimilarspecificationsadjustedin-seasoninFY2010).TheDeep-SeaRedCrabPDT(PDT)met(viawebinar)onJune18,2019todiscusspreviousspecifications,reviewupdatedfisheryinformation,anddiscusstheavailabilityofnewinformationandregulations.Specifically,thePDTreviewedthepreviousspecifications(FY2017-2019)3,includingSSCrecommendationsin2016fortheredcrabABCandTAL.TheSSCmadethefollowingrecommendationsatthelastmeetingwhereredcrabspecificationswerediscussedonAugust20,2016:

1. TheDCAC-basedapproachtodevelopingcatchadvicefortheAtlanticredcrabfisheryshouldremaininplaceatpresent.OFLremainsunknownandABCshouldnotexceed1,775mtforfishingyears2017-2019.

2. Additionalinformation,includingtheoutcomesofindustry-fundedresearch,couldpotentiallybeincorporatedintoarevisedcontrolrule.4Newapproachesshouldbeevaluated,perhapsasaCouncilresearchpriority.

Thismemoincludesalimitednumberoffiguresandtablesattheendofthedocumenttosupporttheupdateddata.AdditionalfiguresandtablesareincludedinthePPTpresentationtotheSSC(#2).

1TACof1,615mtand582fleetDAS.276FR60379;September29,2011andNEFMC.2011.Amendment3totheFisheryManagementPlanforDeep-SeaRedCrab,IncorporatingSpecificationsforFY2011through2013andIncludinganEA,RIR,andIRFA.3NEFMC.2016.AtlanticDeep-SeaRedCrabSpecificationsforFishingYears2017-2019,IncludingaRegulatoryFlexibilityAnalysis.Finalrule:82FR11322;February22,2017.4Whilenotspecified,itisassumedtheSSCisreferringtoanewABCcontrolruleversesthecurrentinterimABC.

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RedCrabLandings,LPUE,PortSamples,andObserverDataThePDTreviewedupdatedredcrabfisheryinformationonlandings,landingsperuniteffort(LPUE),portsamplesandobserverdatacompiledbytheNortheastFisheriesScienceCenter(NEFSC).Theupdatedinformationindicatelandingshaveremainedrelativelystablesince2016,withaslightincreasein2018,andhaveallbeenbelowtheTAL(Figure1).LandingsfromVTRandCFDBSdataarecloselyaligned,thusvalidatingtheaccuracyofthedatasets.ThePDTdiscussedthatlandingsareindicativeofgoodmarketconditions,asthisisamarket-drivenfishery.BasedonVTR-reportedstatisticalareafished,landingsareattributedtooneofthreefishingregions:GeorgesBank/southernNewEngland(Region1),NY,NJ,DE,MD(Region2),andVAandNC(Region3)(Figure2).Annuallandingsbyregionareonemeasureofthespatialextentofthefisheryovertime.RecentdataindicatelandingshavebeenincreasinginRegion2,anddecreasinginRegion1wheremostofthelandingswereconcentratedintheearlyyearsofthefishery(2002-2007)(Figure3).LandingsinRegion3arestable,butlowerthantheotherregions.IndustrymembersindicatethisisduetoshortertripsinRegion3thattargetcrabsforthelivemarket.AverageLPUE,estimatedusingVTR-reportedhaulandgeardata,hasfluctuatedbetween15to~25poundspertraphauledsince2002,generallyincreasingfrom2007,withapeakin2016.However,therehasbeenaslightdecreaseinLPUEacrossallregionsin2017and2018(Figure4).AveragevaluesofLPUEbyregionaresimilarforregions1and2butmorevariableinRegion3,perhapsduetodifferentmarketconditions,andthereforetriptypes,inthatregion(Figure5).TwovesselstakedifferenttypesoftripsinRegion3:onevesseltakeslongertripscatchingcrabstobeprocessed,andanothervesseltakesshortertripstocatchcrabsforthelivemarket.LPUEforthelongertripsisdescribedintheprecedingparagraph.AseparateLPUEwascalculatedfortheshortertripscatchingcrabsforthelivemarketinRegion3.Thesetripsstartedin2016,andhaveaslightlyloweraverageLPUEthanothertrips(seeorangebarsinFigure5).TherearesomecaveatswithLPUEestimatesduetovariabilityinVTRreports;however,themethodusedtoestimateLPUEisconsistentoverallyearsandregions,andhasbeenusedsince2006.Usingportsamplingdata,lengthfrequenciesandaveragesizebyyearandacrossallregionsindicatethatthefisheryhastargetedlargercrabssince2013(Figure6).ThelargestcrabsarebeingcaughtinRegion3.Since2016,theNortheastFisheriesObserverProgram(NEFOP)hasincreaseditsallocationofobserverstoredcrabtrips.Observerdataprovideinformationthereisnootherwaytoget,sincethereisnoregularsurveythatincludesredcrab,andfishery-dependentdataarelimited.AnalysesofNEFOPdatapresentedhereareconsideredpreliminary,buttheycanprovideexcellentinsightonseveralaspectsofthefishery.Forexample,observerdatafrom48directedredcrabtripsduring2016-

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2019indicatesmallermales(smallenoughtobediscarded)arecaughtconsistentlyinredcrabtraps,whichsuggeststhereisasupplyofyoungercrabstorecruittothefisheryinthefuture(Figure7).Also,lengthfrequencydatafrom2016-2019suggestfemales(whichareminimallyimpactedbythefisheryandaremorelikelytoretaintheirnaturallengthdistributions)inregions2and3arelargerthanthoseinRegion1,whichmaybeevidenceforalatitudinalgradientinsize(Figure8).Wecanalsouseobserverdatafromredcrabtripstoexamineegg-bearingfemalelengthfrequencies,estimatediscardsofundersizedandfemaleredcrabs,andassessthelevelofbycatchofotherspeciesintheredcrabfishery.Basedonthelandings,LPUE,portsampling,andobserverdatafromrecentfishingyears,thereisnoevidenceofadeclineintheoverallredcrabstocksize.Whilerecentobserverdatashedlightonevidenceofrecruitment,thedataavailable(allfishery-dependent)donotallowforaquantitativemeasureofrecruitment,sothereisnowaytoestimatethisvariable.DiscardsintheRedCrabFisheryThePDTreviewedVTR-reportedredcrabdiscardratesbytheredcrabfishery(culledcrabs–femalesandsmallmales)andnotedthatthereisahighlevelofuncertaintyandvariabilityintheamountofdiscards.Recentdiscardinformationfromat-seaobserversconfirmsthisvariability.Variabilityiscausedbycullingforfemalesandpreferredmarketsizesformales,thedepthandlocationofthegear,thetimeofyear,andamountofattentiongiventodiscardestimationasthetrapsarehandledondeck.In2013,theSSCconcludedthattheavailablemonitoringdataondiscardsandresearchondiscardmortalitywereinadequatetoreliablyestimatedeaddiscardsandthebestscientificinformationavailableforderivingABCwasthetimeseriesoflandings.Asidefromtherecentlyobservedtripsthatprovideestimatesofthevolumeofdiscards,therehavebeennonewsourcesofinformationondiscardmortalitysince2013.Discardsofotherspeciesintheredcrabfisheryareminimal.DiscardsofRedCrabinOtherFisheriesDiscardsofredcrabsinotherfisheriesareestimatedannuallyusingtheNEFSCStandardizedBycatchReportingMethodology(SBRM),whichisbasedondiscarddatagatheredbyat-seaobserversfromavarietyoffleets.Whilevariable,theresultsfromJuly2011throughJune2018suggestottertrawlfleetsaretypicallyresponsibleformostredcrabdiscardsinboththeNewEnglandandmid-Atlanticregions,althoughtherewasarecentincreaseindiscardsfromthelobsterpot/trapfleetin2017-2018.ThetotalnumberofredcrabdiscardsfromallfisheriesfromJuly2017-June2018were152mt,downfromahighof334mtinJuly2012–June2013(Table1).FromJuly2017-June2018,themajorityofredcrabdiscards(70%)wereobservedon

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crabpotsandtrapsintheNortheastregion,followedbyotherfleets(24%),andthenlobsterpotsandtrapsintheMid-Atlanticregion(6%).Ofthe‘otherfleets’discardingredcrab,ottertrawlfleetsareresponsibleforthemajoritydiscards,followedbyscallopdredge.5Social,Economic,andMarketInformationFromFY2009-2018,totalredcrablandings(livelbs)forlimited-accessredcrabvesselshavegenerallyincreased,withthemostrecent3-yearsabovethe10-yearlandingsaverage(DMISdata)(Table2).Whiledealerrevenuehasgenerallyincreasedoverthesame10-yearperiod,includingthemostrecent3-yearsbeingabovethe10-yearaverageof$2.96million,theinflation-adjustedpriceperpoundhasdecreasedoverthisperiod(Figure9).Redcrabissoldforhumanconsumption.RedcrablandedinNewBedford,MAisprocessedandprimarilysolddomestically,withasmallportionsentoverseasforadditionalprocessing.TheVirginiaredcrablandingsareprimarilylive(i.e.,noprocessing)and>60%istruckeddirectlytoChinatowninNewYorkCitywhereapricepremiumisreceived.TheremainingVirginialandingsaresoldlocallybutcannotcompetewiththelocalbluecrabmarketwhenbluecrabisavailable.AvailabilityofNewInformationandRegulationsRecentRedCrabResearchBradleyStevens,Ph.D.(UniversityofMaryland)andastudent(StephanieMartinezRivera)conductedrecentresearchonreproductivebiologyinfemaleredcrabs.KeyfindingsfromDr.MartinezRivera’sPhDdissertation(Document#6)aresummarizedinthismemo.OtherongoingresearchbyDr.Stevensisinpreparationforpublication.

• Sizeatsexualmaturity(SM50)indicatedifferencesinSM50offemalesbylocation(i.e.,decreasingwithhigherlatitude)andbyseason(i.e.,largercarapacelength[CL]insummerandfallthanwinterandspring).

• Apositivecorrelationbetweenfecundityandfemalesizewasobserved.• Resultsimpliedasynchronybetweenmorphologicalandphysiologicalsexual

maturity,suggestingthatmatingoccurspriortocompletionofovariandevelopment.

• Resultssupportearlierevidence(StevensandGuida,2016)thatthefemaleredcrabreproductivecycleisatleasttwoyears,andhatchingisseasonalbutsemi-continuous.

o Redcrabscanmatewhentheyreachmorphometricmaturity,butmaytakeuptoayeartoproducetheirfirstbroodmass.

5Wigley,S.andTholke,C.2019.DiscardEstimation,Precision,andSampleSizeAnalysesfor14FederallyManagedSpeciesGroupsinthewatersoffthenortheasternUnitedStates.NortheastFisheriesScienceCenter.

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RightWhalesInresponsetoarecentdeclineintheNorthAtlanticrightwhalepopulation,NMFSistakingactionsundertheEndangeredSpeciesAct(ESA)andMarineMammalProtectionAct(MMPA):

• NMFSreinitiatedSection7consultation(ESA)toassesswhetherfederalfisheries,includingredcrab,mayaffecttherightwhalepopulation.ThedraftBiologicalOpinionresultingfromthisconsultationisexpectedtobereleasedinlate2019orearly2020.

• TheAtlanticLargeWhaleTakeReductionTeam(ALWTRT)metinApril2019andrecommendedasuiteofmeasuresaimingata60%reductioninriskofseriousinjuryandmortalitytoNorthAtlanticrightwhales.NMFSisworkingwithstatestodevelopspecificmeasures.Theproposedruleisexpectedtobepublishedlatein2019orearly2020,sofinalactionisunlikelybeforetheredcrabfinalruleispublished.

o WhiletheALWTRThasprimaryfocusedonlobsterpot/trapgear,itispossiblethattheregulationscouldextendtootherpot/trapfisheries,includingredcrab.

CoralManagementAreas

• TheMid-AtlanticFisheryManagementCouncil(MAFMC)coralmanagementzonewentintoeffectonJanuary13,2017,whichdidnotincludeanyrestrictionsfortheredcrabfishery.However,theMAFMCmayreconsidertheredcrabexemptionfromfishingregulationsindiscretezones(canyons),butnottheentireslope,whichwouldaffectthefisheryifitwereclosed.Discretezonesarelistedat50CFR§648.372.

• TheNewEnglandFisheryManagementCouncil(NEFMC)isproposingacoralmanagementzonethatstartsat,ordeeperthan600m,whichisslightlyshallowerthanwheretheredcrabfisheryoccurs.Theseregulationsincludeanindefiniteexemptionfortheredcrabfishery.Thefinalruleshouldbeineffectbythetimethereisfinalactionontheredcrabspecifications.

NortheastCanyonsandSeamountsMarineNationalMonument

� RegardingtheNortheastCanyonsandSeamountsMarineNationalMonument,thereisapossibilitythatredcrabandlobsterpotswillbeprohibitedfromtheMonumentbeforeSeptember2023,whenthe7-yearexemptionsunsets.However,atthistime,thereisnomovementonliftingtheexemptionpriortothisinitialsunsetdate.

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Figure1.Redcrablandingsfrom2002-2018

Figure2.Redcrabregions

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Figure3.Redcrablandingsbyregionfrom2002-2018

Figure4.RedcrabLPUE(livelbs)caughtpertraphauledforalltripsacross

regions,estimatedusingVTRdatafrom2002-2018

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Figure5.RedcrabLPUE(livelbs)caughtpertraphauledforalltripsbyregion,estimatedusingVTRdatafrom2002-2018(orangecolumnsrepresentasinglevesselthatmakesshorttripsforthelivemarket)

Figure6.Meancarapacewidthinmillimetersofalllandedredcrabs(males)inallregions,sampledbyportagentsfrom2001-2018

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Figure7.Carapace-widthfrequenciesofdiscardedandkeptmalecrabs,measuredbyobserversinthenorthernregion(1),from2016-2019

Figure8.Carapace-widthfrequenciesofdiscardedfemalecrabs,measured

byobserversinallregions,from2016-2019

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Table1.Estimatedredcrabdiscards(mt)byotherfisheriesbyyear,fromJuly2011-June2018(Datasource:Wigleyetal.2019,2018,2017,2016,2015,

2014,2013)

Table2.Redcrablandings,revenue,priceperpound,andinflation-

adjustedpricefromFY2009-2018

Gear July 2011 -June 2012

July 2012 -June 2013

July 2013 -June 2014

July 2014 -June 2015

July 2015 -June 2016

July 2016 -June 2017

July 2017 -June 2018

Mid-Atlantic small-mesh otter trawl 47 222 3 0.002 7 19 3

Mid-Atlantic large-mesh otter trawl 3 2 4 3 14 17

New England small-mesh otter trawl 1

New England large-mesh otter trawl 94 107 37 25 35 108 7

Mid-Atlantic shrimp trawl 77 37 7 80

New England large-mesh gillnet 0.2 0.08 0.08 0.04

Scallop dredge 0.05 0.7 0.01 0.9

Lobster pots and traps 0.6 4 23 6 45

Total estimated discards by other fleets (mt) 141 334 46 108 104 154 152

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Figure9.Redcrablandings,revenue,andinflation-adjustedpricefromFY

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Red Crab Landings, Revenue and Inflation-Adjusted Price

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Data source: DMIS, June 2019, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office