Download - 3.RedCrabPDT Specs Memo SSC 072519€¦ · previous specifications (FY 2017-2019)3, including SSC recommendations in 2016 for the red crab ABC and TAL. The SSC made the following

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.

RedCrabPDTSpecificationsMemo

2

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.


3

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-


4

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


5

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.


6

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.


7

Figure1.Redcrablandingsfrom2002-2018

Figure2.Redcrabregions

0

5

10

15

20

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019

Incid

enta

l land

ings

-m

t

Fleet

land

ings

-m

t

Red crab landings 2002-2018 - VTR

Total Fleet Landings Current TAL Total non-Fleet landings


8

Figure3.Redcrablandingsbyregionfrom2002-2018

Figure4.RedcrabLPUE(livelbs)caughtpertraphauledforalltripsacross

regions,estimatedusingVTRdatafrom2002-2018

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019

Land

ings

in m

etric

tons

Red crab landings from 3 regions by yearRegion 1 (GBK, SNE)

Region 2 (NY, NJ, DE, MD)

Region 3 (VA, NC)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Poun

ds p

er tr

ap h

aule

d

Mean red crab landings per trap hauled in live pounds, by year

Longer trips Short live crab trips in region 3


9

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

Figure6.Meancarapacewidthinmillimetersofalllandedredcrabs(males)inallregions,sampledbyportagentsfrom2001-2018

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Poun

ds li

ve w

eigh

t

Year

Mean red crab landings per trap hauled, by region and yearRegion 1 - GBK, SNE

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Poun

ds li

ve w

eigh

t

Year

Region 2 - NY, NJ, DE, MD

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Poun

ds li

ve w

eigh

t

Year

Region 3 - VA, NC

96

98

100

102

104

106

108

110

112

114

116

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018Cara

pace

wid

th in

mill

imet

ers

Mean port-sampled carapace width, all regions combined


10

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

Figure8.Carapace-widthfrequenciesofdiscardedfemalecrabs,measured

byobserversinallregions,from2016-2019

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

75 85 95 105 115 125 135 145

Num

ber o

f cra

bs

Carapace width in mm

2016 North

56 hauls0

50

100

150

200

250

300

75 85 95 105 115 125 135 145

Num

ber o

f cra

bs


2017 North

73 hauls

0

100

200

300

400

500

75 85 95 105 115 125 135 145

Num

ber o

f cra

bs


2018 North

86 hauls0

50

100

150

200

75 85 95 105 115 125 135 145

Num

ber o

f cra

bs


2019 NorthDiscarded Kept

19 hauls

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

65 75 85 95 105 115 125 135

Num

ber o

f cra

bs


2016 females, north 38 hauls, south 34 hauls

0

20

40

60

80

100

65 75 85 95 105 115 125 135

Num

ber o

f cra

bs



0

50

100

150

200

65 75 85 95 105 115 125 135

Num

ber o

f cra

bs



0

10

20

30

40

50

65 75 85 95 105 115 125 135

Num

ber o

f cra

bs



North South


11

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






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


12

Figure9.Redcrablandings,revenue,andinflation-adjustedpricefromFY

2009-2018

Red Crab Landings, Revenue and Inflation-Adjusted Price

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

$0.84

$0.86

$0.88

$0.90

$0.92

$0.94

$0.96

$0.98

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Land

ings

(mill

ions

of l

bs)

Infla

tion

Adju

sted

Pric

e/Po

und

Fishing Year

Inflation Adjusted Price/lbLandings (million lbs)

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