COLLABORATIVE POST-SEASON SNOW CRAB SURVEY REVIEW Thank you all for contributing to our workshop on October 25 th, Collaborative Post Season Snow Crab Survey Review. The Collaborative Post-Season Survey (CPS) is a crucial index for the assessment and management of the Snow Crab fishery of Newfoundland and Labrador. The purpose of the meeting was to review the current survey and consider proposed changes to the CPS survey. Participation in the workshop by over 20 Snow Crab fleet representatives, as well as FFAW staff, DFO Science and the provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods, made for lively and much needed discussion of this key index. These discussions are timely given the considerable changes to the Snow Crab resource and the Newfoundland and Labrador shelf marine ecosystem more broadly. During the meeting we reviewed the history of the survey, identified key objectives (both past and objectives for going forward), discussed changes implemented in the 2016 survey, and discussed proposed changes to the CPS survey going forward. Key Objectives The CPS survey began in 2003 and the key motivations for the survey were to develop an index of fishable biomass available after the completion of a fishery a residual biomass index. Secondly, the CPS survey was developed to address concerns regarding the RV trawl survey as a Snow Crab index, specifically that inshore crab management areas (CMAs) were not surveyed and that the survey did not use pots, and therefore had different catchability from the fishery. A key strength of the CPS survey is that it provides an index at the level of the CMAs.
After considerable discussion, it was agreed that the objectives for the CPS survey going forward would be: 1) Provide an annual index of Exploitable Biomass after the fishery is complete: Residual Biomass Index 2) Increase the utility of the CPS survey to provide an index of incoming recruits to the fishery: Recruitment Index 3) Maintain the time series of the existing CPS survey Core Area Index While Snow Crab harvesters agreed on the utility and importance of having a recruitment index in addition to the current residual biomass index, there was concern expressed regarding the transition from the existing survey design. The key concern was that changes resulting from expanding the survey into additional areas could be interpreted as changes to the resource. Harvesters were adamant that they wanted to maintain the time series and did not want to lose the index from the core survey. The preference is to maintain a core area index and to expand out into other areas that were not previously surveyed. It was recommended that the two indices (the existing index and the revised index) be kept separate in the assessments until the relationship between the two indices is clear and there is a sufficient time series for the latter. 2016 CPS Survey Given that harvesters have been requesting additional small mesh pots and have requested that the CPS survey be extended to the 3N slope area, initial efforts to address these short comings began during the 2016 season. The FFAW and DFO held workshops in August 2016 to train at-sea observers and technicians in crab claw height measurements. This training allowed the measurement and processing of all small mesh pots at sea. Small mesh pot samples are no longer brought to shore and processed at DFO. This change in protocol allowed for greater small mesh pot deployments. In 2016, the FFAW increased the number of small mesh pots deployed in the survey from 134 to 304. 2
Moreover, small mesh pot deployments were distributed more broadly throughout the survey area. Images provided by DFO Science Second, survey coverage was increased in fished regions with little or no sampling such as 2J and the 3N slope area, where there were no CPS stations in previous years. In response to harvesters repeated requests for increased sampling in these areas and in response to DFO s interest in improving the spatial coverage of the CPS survey the FFAW met with both fleet representatives and with DFO Science to discuss how best to survey the 3N slope. Fleet representatives emphasized the need for different fishing protocols along the slope edge, whereas DFO Science emphasized the need for consistent survey design. It was agreed to evaluate different fishing protocols by comparative fishing at each survey location. Results from this comparison will be presented and discussed with all fleets as similar concerns regarding the survey design have been expressed by other fleets. Differences between survey protocols and fishing practices for particular regions were discussed at the October 25 th workshop. As these types of questions have been raised in the past and are ongoing, a mechanism for addressing these questions while maintaining the integrity of the survey is needed. For example, experimental comparisons of different fishing protocols could provide the needed data for understanding the links between fishing catch 3
rates and survey catch rates. The FFAW will ensure that is a mechanism for addressing fleet questions is included in any long-term CPS survey design. Proposed Changes to the CPS In addition to the increase in small mesh pots, DFO Science proposed shifting the survey footprint, including expanding into areas not previously sampled, increasing the depth range sampled to better track recruitment and shifting effort from heavily sampled areas. The goal is to ensure comparable sampling effort throughout the stock area. Changes to the survey and to the resultant index will be phased in to that changes to the survey are not interpreted as changes to Snow Crab abundance, distribution and age structure. It was agreed that there would be an update meeting at the time of the stock assessment for Snow Crab (February/March 2017) and following the 2017 CPS survey (November 2017). Workshop participants agreed on the need to have annual meetings throughout the process. Discussion Summary Agreement on the need for small mesh pots throughout the survey area; Agreement on the need to meet annually during the transition process and regularly thereafter; Agreement on the need to survey throughout the region; Agreement to maintain current footprint indices along with expanded area indices for at least the transition period and possibly beyond depending on subsequent discussions; Discussed movement of sampling stations from heavily sampled regions, provided that the shift in effort does not result in a shift in the index. Feedback from Harvesters Fleet representatives were asked to discuss the meeting with fish harvesters in their fleets. Most importantly, fleet chairs were asked to discuss the process and objectives of the survey and the current survey review. Feedback from the fleets is needed. For example, what are the questions regarding fishing protocols you would like to see evaluated? Are there current survey stations that cannot be sampled? 4
Second, feedback on the changes to 2016 survey are requested. Did processing the small mesh pots on-board impact your ability to complete the survey? Do you have recommendations for revising the survey protocols going forward? Plan for Collaborative Review of the CPS We have committed to having a summary of the changes to the survey and results from 2016 brought to the fleets for discussion in early 2016. At that meeting, we would like to summarize the feedback from the different fleets. A key discussion topic for that meeting will be the plan for the 2017 survey design. A collaborative review of the 2017 survey will be done in November 2017, with participation from all fleet representatives as well as DFO Science and Resource Management, FFAW staff and representatives from the provincial government. 5
Meeting Participants Harvesters FFAW Staff 1. Wayne Hicks (3KD Inshore) 23. Jackie Baker (Science Coordinator) 2. Brian Careen (3Ps 10 Inshore) 24. David Decker (Secretary Treasurer) 3. Rick Kean (3K Fulltime) 25. Erin Carruthers (Fisheries Scientist) 4. Larry Cull (3KA Inshore) 26. Bill Broderick (Inshore Director) 5. Everett Roberts (3KC Inshore) 27. Monty Way (Staff Rep.) 6. Andy Careen (3L Small Supp.) 28. John Boland (Staff Rep.) 7. Chris Strowbridge (3Ps 11s) 29. Roland Hedderson (Staff Rep.) 8. Andrew Daley (3L Fulltime) DFO 9. Robbie Green (3L Large Supp.) 30. Darrell Mullowney (DFO Science) 10. John Hewitt (8A Inshore) 31. Katherine Skanes (DFO Science) 11. Kevin Blackwood (3L Small Supp.) 32. Ben Davis (DFO Science) 12. Keith Bowen (St. Mary s Bay Inshore) 33. Annette Rumbolt (DFO Resource Management) 13. Gerard Hounsell (Bonavista Bay Inshore) 34. Ellen Careen (DFO Resource Management) 14. Tony Doyle (Conception Bay/FFAW Exec.) DFFA - NL 15. Lewis Dodge (3Ps 10 Inshore) 35. Shelley Dwyer (Sustainable Fisheries & Policy) 16. John Ralph (Trinity Bay Inshore) 17. Brian Carew (6C Inshore) 18. Jim Chidley (8A Inshore) 19. Dwight Petten (3L Large Supp.) 20. Nelson Bussey (FFAW Exec.) 21. Chad Strugnell (2J) 22. Matthew Petten (3L Large Supp.) 6