Crab: Snow

Snow crab, Alaska snow crab, Tanner crab, Queen crab, Spider crab

Kani

Snow crabs are found on deep sandy/muddy seafloor habitats throughout the northern hemisphere (Atlantic and Pacific). Snow crab is caught commercially with baited traps (also called pots) at depths ranging from 50 to 280m. The fishery for this species has sustainability concerns associated with bycatch of undersized and soft-shell crabs, however actions are being taken including soft-shell protocols, improved observer coverage and reduced quotas in some areas.

Fresh snow crab is available during the fishing season from May to September and frozen products are available year round.

Snow crabs have high egg production, but it takes four to six years for juveniles to grow to sexual maturity. The minimum legal size is 95mm carapace width, so females and undersize male crabs do not contribute to the exploitable biomass. Contributing factors to their vulnerability include a moderately long life span (up to 18 years) and low survival rates of catches of soft shelled crabs.

Natural variability in recruitment, as well as increasing exploitation, has led to wide fluctuations in Canadian landings. In some areas, catches have been at record high levels since the late 1990s. Although Canada’s snow crab population is not considered to be overfished, recent data show a general decline in the abundance in most exploitable areas in Eastern Nova Scotia, and especially in Newfoundland and Labrador.

There is high mortality associated with the bycatch of soft-shell and undersize snow crab and therefore bycatch effects are considered moderate. Bycatch reduction measures include shortened fishing seasons, strict soft-shell protocols, improved observer coverage and smaller quotas in some areas.

Pot gear potentially can cause localized mortality to benthic species when pots settle to the bottom and when they are hauled back to the surface, but pots are generally set on soft bottom habitats with little biotic structure.

Canada’s snow crab fishery operates under a progressive management regime and appears to be effectively managed. The fishery is monitored via fisheries logbooks, landing surveys, dockside sampling, at-sea observers, and vessel monitoring systems.

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Adults and children can safely eat more than 4 meals per month + Low contaminant levels

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