MSC ASSESSMENT REPORT Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery

Transcription

1 MSC ASSESSMENT REPORT Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery Certification Code: SCS-MFCP-F-0021 Version: SCS_Public Certification Report_Final Date: 3 September 2009 Client: New England Red Crab Harvesters Association MSC reference standards: MSC Accreditation Manual Issue 4 MSC Fisheries Assessment Methodology (FAM) Version 1 MSC TAB Directives (All) MSC Chain of Custody Certification Methodology (CoC CM) Draft 8 Version 6 Accredited Certification Body: Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. Marine Fisheries Conservation Program 2200 Powell Street, Suite 725 Emeryville, CA 94608, United States Assessment Team Dr. Chet Chaffee, Project Manager, SCS Dr. Joseph DeAlteris, University of Rhode Island Mr. Richard B. Allen, M.S. Marine Affairs

2 Amendments Issued Since Original Draft Amd. No Date Description Of Amendment 1 24 April 2009 Draft Report for Client Review 2 24 April 2009 Draft Report for Peer Review 3 1 July 2009 Public Comment Draft Report 4 3 August 2009 Final Report 3 September 2009 Public Certification Report 1

3 Contents Preamble 4 1 Introduction 5 2 The Fishery Proposed for Assessment 5 3 Summary Assessment Team The Assessment Process Assessment Team Meetings & Interviews Justification for selection of items/persons inspected Fishing industry and fishery management meetings Stakeholder meetings and interviews Certification Recommendation Meeting Conditions for Continued Certification General Conditions for Continued Certification Specific Conditions for Continued Certification Action Plan for Meeting Conditions 10 4 The Deep-sea red crab Fishery Deep-Sea Red Crab Life History Features Distribution Background of the Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery 12 5 Fisheries Management System 13 6 Processing and Transshipment 14 8 Other Fisheries in the area and summary of previous certification evaluations 14 9 The MSC Evaluation process MSC Principles and Criteria 15 MSC PRINCIPLE 1 15 MSC PRINCIPLE 2 15 MSC PRINCIPLE Interpretation of MSC Principles for Performance Evaluations Submission of Data on the Fishery Assessment Team Performance Evaluations 18 MSC PRINCIPLE 1 18 MSC PRINCIPLE 2 36 MSC PRINCIPLE Tracking, Tracing Fish and Fish Products 75 2

4 12 Peer Review, Public Comment and Objections Certification recommendations and Perfomance Scores MSC Logo Licensing Responsibilities 76 References 78 Appendix 1 Peer Review 1 and SCS Response 80 Appendix 2 - Peer Review 2 and SCS Response 95 3

5 PREAMBLE This report is the sole responsibility of SCS. All advice and comments from Assessment team members, peer reviewers, stakeholders, and the MSC have been reviewed by SCS and incorporated into the report by SCS as deemed warranted. 4

6 1 INTRODUCTION The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the long-term protection or sustainability of marine fisheries and related habitats. First started as a joint initiative between Unilever and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the MSC is now a fully independent organization that is governed by an independent Board of Directors advised by a panel of scientific, economic, and fishery experts. The MSC s original mission statement promoted responsible, environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable fisheries practices, as well as the maintenance of biodiversity, productivity and ecological processes of the marine environment. The current MSC mission statement (redrafted in 2001) provides a slightly more focused mission and reads, To safeguard the world s seafood supply by promoting the best environmental choice. Dedicated to promoting well-managed or sustainable fisheries, the MSC initiative intends to identify such fisheries through means of independent third-party assessments and certification. Once certified, fisheries will be awarded the opportunity to utilize an MSC promoted eco-label to gain economic advantages in the marketplace. Through certification and eco-labeling, the MSC intends to promote and encourage better management of world fisheries, many of which have been suggested to suffer from poor management. The Marine Stewardship Council developed the original standards for sustainable fisheries management in a three-step process (May, Leadbetter, Sutton, and Weber, 2003): 1) Assemble a group of experts in Bagshot (UK) to draft an initial set of Principles and Criteria; 2) Conduct an 18-month process to review the standard in 8 major international venues; and 3) Convene a second set of experts in Warrenton, Virginia (Airlie Conference Center, USA) to revise and finalize the MSC Principles and Criteria. The current MSC Fisheries Certification standard, the Marine Stewardship Council Fisheries Assessment Methodology (FAM) was issued on 21 July 2008, and has since been used as the basis by which fisheries are evaluated under the MSC program. 2 THE FISHERY PROPOSED FOR ASSESSMENT The fishery evaluated in this report is: Species: Geographic Area: Fishing Method: Fishery Management: Deep-Sea Red Crab (Chaceon quinquedens) The boundaries of the management unit for red crab are limited to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean from 35º 15.3N. lat., the approximate latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC, northward to the U.S.-Canada border, extending eastward from the shore to the outer boundary of the exclusive economic zone and northward to the U.S.-Canada border. Trap (pot) New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Department of Commerce. 5

7 Figure 1: Map of the Red Crab FMP management unit. The shaded area represents the area within which the management measures identified in the Red Crab FMP apply. 3 SUMMARY 3.1 Assessment Team Dr. Chet Chaffee, Project Manager, SCS Dr. Joseph DeAlteris, University of Rhode Island Mr. Richard B. Allen, M.S. Marine Affairs 3.2 The Assessment Process Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. conducted a pre-assessment of the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab fishery as recommended by the MSC program. After review of the pre-assessment, the applicants for certification authorized the formal, full assessment of the fishery. All aspects of the assessment process were carried out under the auspices of Scientific Certification Systems, Inc., an accredited MSC certification body, and in direct accordance with MSC requirements. In order to ensure a thorough and robust assessment process, and a process in which all interested stakeholders could and would participate, SCS took the approach of allowing additional time as needed for both industry and stakeholders to respond to requests for information and participation. To be thorough and transparent, SCS provided opportunities for input at all stages of the assessment process, whether required or not by MSC procedures. The general steps followed were: Team Selection 6

8 At this first step of the assessment process, SCS sought input from interested parties. SCS sent out an advisory through direct and posting on select web sites requesting comment on the nominations of persons capable of providing the expertise needed in the deep-sea red crab assessment. Finalize use of the Fisheries Assessment Methodology (FAM) As required by the MSC assessment process, the assessment team reviewed the applicability of using the default assessment tree in the FAM. The SCS assessment team found the default criteria of the FAM adequate for the assessment and posted notice of its use with no modifications to the MSC website to allow stakeholders to provide comments. Input on fishery performance Once use of the default assessment tree was finalized, SCS requested that the applicants compile and submit written information to the assessment team illustrating the fishery s compliance with the required performance indicators (PI). At the same time, SCS requests that stakeholders submit their views on the fishery management system s functions and performance. In the case of the deep-sea red crab fishery, the client provided most of the information needed prior to the actual interviewing process. Meetings with industry, managers, and stakeholders SCS planned for and conducted meetings with stakeholders, industry, fishery managers, and fishery scientists. Scoring fishery The assessment team scored the fishery using the required MSC methodology and without input from the client group or stakeholders. Drafting report The assessment team in collaboration with the SCS lead assessor, Chet Chaffee, drafted the report in accordance with MSC required process. Selection of peer reviewers SCS, as required, released an announcement of potential peer reviewers soliciting comment from stakeholders on the merit of the selected reviewers. No comments were received. Release of Public Comment Draft Report SCS released a draft report for public comment and solicited stakeholder response through posting on MSC website and direct to known potential stakeholders. Release of Final Report SCS released the Final report with certification determination for the required objection period and the end of which no objections were received. Release of Public Certification Report This report satisfies this requirement. 7

9 3.3 Assessment Team Meetings & Interviews Justification for selection of items/persons inspected. The sites and people chosen for visits and interviews were based on the assessment team's need to acquire information about the management operations of the fisheries under evaluation. Agencies and their respective personnel responsible for fishery management, fisheries research, fisheries compliance, and habitat protection were identified and contacted with the assistance of the client group and stakeholders Fishing industry and fishery management meetings The sites and people chosen for visits and interviews were based on the assessment team's need to acquire information about the management operations of the fisheries under evaluation. Agencies and their respective personnel responsible for fishery management, fisheries research, fisheries compliance, and habitat protection were identified and contacted with the assistance of the client. The assessment team met with managers and scientists from 8 to 11 December As with all assessments, there are always a number of issues that come to light when reviewing all the information with critical management and scientific personnel. Questions that arose after the initial meetings were handled through and phone calls with the client and any other necessary entities. Table 1 provides a general list of the people and organizations either met or talked to (by or phone) during the assessment process. Table 1. Organizations and People Interviewed as part of the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery Assessment Process Full Assessment Management Ecosystem Stock Assessment and Stock Status Stakeholders John Williams (NERCHA) Marianne Williams (NERCHA) Chris Kellog (NEFMC) Diedre Bolke (NEFMC) Shelly Tallack (GMRI) Barbara Rountree (NEFSC) Mike Pentony (NMFS) Robert Glenn (Ma. DMF) Sharon Young (HSUS) GMRI Gulf of Maine Research Institute NERCHA New England Red Crab Harvesters Association NEFMC New England Fishery Management Council NEFSC Northeast Fisheries Science Center NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service Ma. DMF Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries HSUS The Humane Society of the U.S Stakeholder meetings and interviews Stakeholders were identified through a variety of means, including recommendations made by the client and the assessment team members utilizing their expert knowledge of the region s fisheries. These potential stakeholders were approached directly by . 8

10 Advisory Notices were also posted on the MSC website. Advisory Notices included: the announcement of full assessment; posted 19 May 2008 the announcement of proposed assessment team; posted 23 July 2008 the announcement of use of the default assessment tree; posted 3 November 2008 the announcement of assessment/stakeholder visit; posted 10 November 2008 the announcement of potential peer reviewers; posted 6 February 2009 the announcement of release of Draft Report for Public Comment; posted on 3 July 2009 In addition, public notification was given in the print and electronic versions of the Commercial Fisheries News volume 35, Number 10. The electronic version can be found at To date no stakeholders have officially engaged (by , written letter, phone, or fax) SCS at any time during the assessment process. 3.4 Certification Recommendation It is the consensus judgment of the assessment team and the certification committee, that the management of the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery complies with the requirements for achieving MSC certification. Therefore, SCS as the certification body of record recommends that the fishery be issued an MSC Fishery certificate. 3.5 Meeting Conditions for Continued Certification To be awarded an MSC certificate for the fishery, the applicants must agree in written contract to develop an action plan for meeting the required 'Conditions'; a plan that must provide specific information on what actions will be taken, who will take the actions, and when the actions will be completed. The Action Plan must be approved by SCS as the certification body of record. The applicant must also agree in a written contract to be financially and technically responsible for surveillance visits by an MSC accredited certification body, which would occur at a minimum of once a year, or more often at the discretion of the certification body (based on the applicant s action plan or by previous findings by the certification body from annual surveillance audits or other sources of information). The contract must be in place prior to certification being awarded. Surveillance audits will be comprised in general of (1) checking on compliance with the agreed action plan for meeting pre-specified Conditions, and (2) sets of selected questions that allow the certifier to determine whether the fishery is being maintained at a level of performance similar to or better than the performance recognized during the initial assessment General Conditions for Continued Certification The general 'Conditions' set for the Atlantic Red Crab Harvesters Association (NERCHA) are: NERCHA must recognize that MSC standards require regular monitoring inspections at least once a year, focusing on compliance with the 'Conditions' set forth in this report (as outlined below) and continued conformity with the standards of certification. NERCHA must agree by contract to be responsible financially and technically for compliance with required surveillance audits by an accredited MSC certification body, and a contract must be signed and verified by SCS prior to certification being awarded. 9

11 NERCHA must recognize that MSC standards require a full re-evaluation for certification (as opposed to yearly monitoring for update purposes) every five years. Prior to receiving final certification, NERCHA shall develop an 'Action Plan for Meeting the Condition for Continued Certification' and have it approved by SCS Specific Conditions for Continued Certification In addition to the general requirements outlined above, NERCHA must also agree in a written contract with an accredited MSC certification body to meet the specific conditions as described in Section 10 and summarized below (within the agreed timelines that will be agreed in the ' Action Plan for Meeting the Condition for Continued Certification' to be approved by SCS). MSC Principle 1 Indicator The Stock is at a level which maintains high productivity and has a low probability of recruitment overfishing. Score 75 Condition 1: The client must implement a strategy that mitigates the potential effects that the fishery has on the decrease in males of a sufficient size to mate with the largest females. The strategy should be written with the aim of gradually increasing mean size of males in the population. The strategy should be implemented by Indicator Relevant information is collected to support the harvest strategy. Score 70 Condition 2: The client must commit to develop and support a program for fishery-dependent data collection. This program could include CPUE, length structure of landed crabs and discarded crabs, habitat information, etc. Collected data could then be used to conduct annual stock assessments by NMFS or an industry-contracted stock assessment scientist. The program should be implemented by Action Plan for Meeting Conditions The Client for this fishery assessment and certification has submitted Action Plans for meeting all conditions and requirements under the MSC program. Action Plan for Condition The red crab industry plans to self-impose a financial disincentive program to the harvesting vessels in order to achieve the goals of this condition. This program will be based on the catch composition of the NMFS port sampler. The fishing grounds will be split into three zones: (Zone 1) Oceanographer Canyon to the Hague Line (Zone 2) Wilmington Canyon to Oceanographer Canyon (Zone 3) Wilmington Canyon to Hatteras, NC 10

12 It is the industry s position that it is within Zone 2 (the largest and most frequently fished) that the average size needs to be increased. Zones 1 & 3 contain larger male crabs, and providing that the average size of landed crab does not decrease, the industry feels that these areas can remain at status quo. With regards to Zone 2, the plan is quite simple: Identify a minimum acceptable size that will result in an average 2% net annual increase in landed crab. This will result in a 10.4% increase in the five years between assessments. The industry will self-impose these restrictions and implement them by agreeing that the vessels will not be paid for undersize crabs. The crab crews will then sort and discard according to the minimum size requirement as it will be in their best interest to do. We believe that this will be an effective method to accomplish the goal of this condition. Action Plan for Condition The red crab industry supports this condition. In November of 2008, the red crab industry working collaboratively with Dr. Rick Wahle of the Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences and Dr. Yong Chen of the University of Maine submitted an application to the National Marine Fisheries Service for an Experimental Fishing Permit (EFP) to harvest a small fraction of the female red crabs in the stock, to collect fishery dependent data on the stock including catch per unit effort (CPUE), the size frequency data on a sample of both landed catch and discarded catch, and other data including discards of other species and limited habitat data, and to support an annual stock assessment based on the fishery dependent data. That proposal was modified on February 10, 2009 in light of the results of the Data Poor Stocks Workshop. As of this date (30 June 2009), the red crab industry is currently awaiting a decision from NMFS as to whether the experimental fishing permit (EFP) will be granted. If granted, this condition will be satisfied within the scope of the EFP statement of work. The EFP has been published in the Federal Register for public comment, but the final decision will not be made for several weeks. If the EFP is denied, the industry is still committed to the support of the collection of fishery dependent data by an independent observer on several trips annually, evenly distributed throughout the fishing year. The data collected would include the CPUE data from the traps, lengths of a sample of landed and discarded red crab, weights of other discarded species, and other environmental / habitat data as is reasonably collected by a single fisheries observer. The red crab industry will also commit to a continued cooperative data collection program with NMFS on landed red crab per unit effort, and the size frequency distribution of those landed red crab. The red crab industry is committed to working with NMFS or an industry-contracted stock assessment scientist to develop annual stock assessments based on fishery dependent data, as the industry recognizes that NMFS has no plans for regular fishery independent surveys of the red crab resource. 4 THE DEEP-SEA RED CRAB FISHERY A brief description of the red crab fishery assessed in this project is provided in the following subsections. The descriptions are general in nature and brief, since a good deal of this information is more fully discussed in Section 10, Assessment Team Performance Evaluations. 4.1 Deep-Sea Red Crab The fishery targets deep-sea red crab (Chaceon quinquedens). As the name implies, Chaceon quinquedens is a true deep-water crab, occurring generally from 200 to 1800 meters in depth. 11

13 4.1.2 Life History Features The taxonomy of the deep-sea red crab Chaceon quinquedens appears to be sufficient to permit regular and accurate identification. The basic biology of the red crab is known in general. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-163 (2001) provides the known general information on life history stages, distribution, and habitats. The document also provides a little information on stock structure and research needs. Stock structure is a crucial issue with regard to MSC certification. If multiple stocks occur within the fishery, or if a single stock is fished beyond the bounds of the fishery under consideration for certification, then this presents an issue for MSC certification. In the case of the red crab, the single stock fished within the boundaries of the fishery applying for certification appears to occur more widely than the boundaries of the fishery. Information suggests that most of the stock occurs within the boundaries of the fishery, so this may be a small problem. What is not clear is what effect a more southerly distribution of the same population would have on the estimates of biomass. Presumably, this would imply the estimates of biomass are conservative as they do not include potential additional biomass south of the fishery s boundaries. According to the NMFS Technical document as well as the most recent SAFE report for red crab, there are a number of life history parameters that need to be better understood to allow a proper and accurate assessment of red crab stock. Some of the more important parameters to understand include fecundity, natural mortality, growth, age at maturity, and recruitment Distribution Deep-sea red crabs are found along the continental shelf and slope of the Western Atlantic and are generally found at depths from 200 to 1800 meters. Their distribution reaches from the Gulf of Mexico in the south up to Emerald Bay, Nova Scotia in the north. Depending on life stage, they may occur from the shallow warm waters of the continental shelf as larvae and deep cold water on the outer continental shelf as post larval crabs (Steimle et al. 2001) In the Northeast, adult red crabs occur along the continental shelf edge and upper slope from the Scotian Shelf and the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras (Haefner and Musick, 1977; Serchuk and Wigley 1982). 4.2 Background of the Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery During the 1960s and 1970s, the resource was considered underutilized. Some experimenting began in the early 1970s to develop a fishery for deep-sea red crab off the east coast of the United States. Beginning in the early 1970s, a fishery for deep-sea red crab began off the coast of New England and in the Mid- Atlantic. The size and intensity of this fishery has fluctuated since its origin; however, it has remained consistently small relative to more prominent New England fisheries. Landings have increased substantially over the years. Some concerns have been raised about the sustainability of the resource and overcapitalization of the fishery. These concerns served as the impetus for management action. In 1999 the Council began development of a management plan for red crab. The directed red crab fishery is entirely a trap fishery. The primary fishing zone for red crab, as reported by the fishing industry, is at a depth of meters along the continental shelf in the Northeast region, and is limited to waters north of N (Cape Hatteras, NC) and south of the Hague Line. 12

14 The FMP was implemented on October 21, 2002, which limited the number of vessels that could harvest red crab in a directed fishery. The Red Crab FMP/EIS regulations implemented a limited access program for the directed fishery with a target TAC of million pounds and a days-at-sea (DAS) allocation of 780 fleet days to harvest the TAC. A number of measures were implemented including trip limits, limit on the number of traps permitted per vessel, a prohibition against harvesting female crabs, and several other measures intended to prevent overfishing. Annual US commercial landings of deep sea red crab during 1982 to 2005 ranged from 466 mt (1996) to 4,000 mt (2001); no fishery occurred in Since 2002 when the fishery management plan was implemented, landings have been stable at about 2000 mt per year. A small portion of red crab landings are taken as bycatch in the offshore lobster fishery. There is no recreational fishery. Discards consist of female crabs (which cannot be landed by regulation) and male crabs too small to sell (current fishery selectivity curves indicate that 50% of red crabs are fully available to the fishery by 92 mm carapace width). Discards have not been well quantified but are likely substantial for both males and females in the red crab fishery. Mortality rates for discarded red crabs are unknown. (Chute 2006) Although this is a small fishery in terms of the number of vessels that participate, exvessel revenues are estimated to be about $4-5 million dollars a year. The majority of individuals that are involved in the harvesting sector of this fishery report almost complete economic dependence on red crab as their primary fishery. All limited access vessels are now docked out of Fall River, MA (with one vessel operating out of Newport News, VA on a regular basis); and the majority of participants and crew members are from New Figure 2: Map of the primary depth zone ( meters) for adult red crabs within the area of the red crab fishery. England. The processing sector for red crabs was relatively small prior to the FMP, and now all crabs are processed at one facility in Nova Scotia, Canada. This processor then sells the entire red crab product to several large food chains. The crab is primarily sold as generic crabmeat, and cocktail claws. 5 FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM A Fishery Management Plan (FMP) was adopted for the red crab fishery in Fishing year 2003 (March 1, 2003 February 29, 2004) was the first complete fishing year under the FMP. The FMP includes a number of 13

15 control mechanisms according to the 2005 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report. The SAFE report states: Specific permitting and reporting requirements were implemented by the FMP, including an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for limited access vessels. A number of measures were implemented including trip limits set at 75,000 pounds per trip, unless a vessel could document one trip that occurred during the permit qualification period that had a higher trip limit. Incidental catch trip limits were set at 500 pounds per trip for non-limited access vessels. The FMP also implemented a limit on the number of traps permitted per vessel to 600 traps, and a prohibition on possession of female crabs. All of these management measures were intended to prevent overfishing in the red crab fishery. Also included are trap size limit of 18 cubic feet in volume. No other trap requirements, such as escape gaps, mesh size, or degradability panels/materials have been specified. The FMP also requires mandatory reporting of catches, a logbook system and the use of observers only when NMFS declares the specific need (which has not happened). The management of the fishery also now requires a new stock assessment at least once every three years, which should significantly improve the knowledge about the fishery, especially if additional research is conducted on necessary life history parameters. The fishery is also a limited access fishery with very few participants, the majority of which are very cooperative in terms of limiting effort and protecting the resource. Should NMFS ever determine the need to reduce harvests, there is no doubt that the licensed fishers will comply without much hesitation. 6 PROCESSING AND TRANSSHIPMENT For the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab fishery, all landings are recorded and reported. Processing occurs on shore. This report does not cover transshipments or processing beyond the point of landing the fish on the deck of a vessel and preparing it for processing. This report acknowledges that sufficient monitoring takes place to identify the fishery of origin for all landed deep-sea red crab. This is sufficient to allow a Chain of Custody to be established from the point of landing forward for all products derived from the fishery. MSC chain of custody certifications were not undertaken in this project, and therefore, needs to be undertaken on a separate and individual basis for those entities that may wish to identify and/or label products derived from the fishery. 8 OTHER FISHERIES IN THE AREA AND SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS CERTIFICATION EVALUATIONS According to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the New England Fishery Management Council, the species under management with EFH that potentially overlaps with red crab fishing activity are: Atlantic halibut Redfish Witch flounder Spiny dogfish 14

16 Golden crab Barndoor skate Clearnose skate Rosette skate Smooth skate Thorny skate. None of the other fisheries much affect red crab, and the reverse is equally as true with no real effect of the red crab fishery on any of the other managed species. 9 THE MSC EVALUATION PROCESS 9.1 MSC Principles and Criteria MSC PRINCIPLE 1 A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing or depletion of the exploited populations and, for those populations that are depleted; the fishery must be conducted in a manner that demonstrably leads to their recovery. Intent: The intent of this principle is to ensure that the productive capacities of resources are maintained at high levels and are not sacrificed in favor of short term interests. Thus, exploited populations would be maintained at high levels of abundance designed to retain their productivity, provide margins of safety for error and uncertainty, and restore and retain their capacities for yields over the long term. MSC Criteria 1. The fishery shall be conducted at catch levels that continually maintain the high productivity of the target population(s) and associated ecological community relative to its potential productivity. 2. Where the exploited populations are depleted, the fishery will be executed such that recovery and rebuilding is allowed to occur to a specified level consistent with the precautionary approach and the ability of the populations to produce long-term potential yields within a specified time frame. 3. Fishing is conducted in a manner that does not alter the age or genetic structure or sex composition to a degree that impairs reproductive capacity. MSC PRINCIPLE 2 Fishing operations should allow for the maintenance of the structure, productivity, function and diversity of the ecosystem (including habitat and associated dependent and ecologically related species) on which the fishery depends. Intent: The intent of this principle is to encourage the management of fisheries from an ecosystem perspective under a system designed to assess and restrain the impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem. 15

17 MSC Criteria: The fishery is conducted in a way that maintains natural functional relationships among species and should not lead to trophic cascades or ecosystem state changes. The fishery is conducted in a manner that does not threaten biological diversity at the genetic, species or population levels and avoids or minimizes mortality of, or injuries to endangered, threatened or protected species. Where exploited populations are depleted, the fishery will be executed such that recovery and rebuilding is allowed to occur to a specified level within specified time frames, consistent with the precautionary approach and considering the ability of the population to produce long-term potential yields. MSC PRINCIPLE 3 The fishery is subject to an effective management system that respects local, national and international laws and standards and incorporates institutional and operational frameworks that require use of the resource to be responsible and sustainable. Intent: The intent of this principle is to ensure that there is an institutional and operational framework for implementing Principles 1 and 2, appropriate to the size and scale of the fishery. MSC Criteria: A. Management System: The fishery shall not be conducted under a controversial unilateral exemption to an international agreement. The management system shall: 1. demonstrate clear long-term objectives consistent with MSC Principles and Criteria and contain a consultative process that is transparent and involves all interested and affected parties so as to consider all relevant information, including local knowledge. The impact of fishery management decisions on all those who depend on the fishery for their livelihoods, including, but not confined to subsistence, artisinal, and fishing-dependent communities shall be addressed as part of this process; 2. be appropriate to the cultural context, scale and intensity of the fishery reflecting specific objectives, incorporating operational criteria, containing procedures for implementation and a process for monitoring and evaluating performance and acting on findings; 3. observe the legal and customary rights and long term interests of people dependent on fishing for food and livelihood, in a manner consistent with ecological sustainability; 4. incorporates an appropriate mechanism for the resolution of disputes arising within the system; 5. provide economic and social incentives that contribute to sustainable fishing and shall not operate with subsidies that contribute to unsustainable fishing; 6. act in a timely and adaptive fashion on the basis of the best available information using a precautionary approach particularly when dealing with scientific uncertainty; 7. incorporate a research plan appropriate to the scale and intensity of the fishery that addresses the information needs of management and provides for the dissemination of research results to all interested parties in a timely fashion; 8. require that assessments of the biological status of the resource and impacts of the fishery have been and are periodically conducted; 16

18 9. specify measures and strategies that demonstrably control the degree of exploitation of the resource, including, but not limited to: 10. set catch levels that will maintain the target population and ecological community s high productivity relative to its potential productivity, and account for the non-target species (or size, age, sex) captured and landed in association with, or as a consequence of, fishing for target species; 11. identify appropriate fishing methods that minimize adverse impacts on habitat, especially in critical or sensitive zones such as spawning and nursery areas; 12. provide for the recovery and rebuilding of depleted fish populations to specified levels within specified time frames; 13. have mechanisms in place to limit or close fisheries when designated catch limits are reached; 14. establish no-take zones where appropriate; 15. contain appropriate procedures for effective compliance, monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement which ensure that established limits to exploitation are not exceeded and specify corrective actions to be taken in the event that they are. B. MSC Operational Criteria: Fishing operations shall: 16. make use of fishing gear and practices designed to avoid the capture of non-target species (and non-target size, age, and/or sex of the target species); minimize mortality of this catch where it cannot be avoided, and reduce discards of what cannot be released alive; 17. implement appropriate fishing methods designed to minimize adverse impacts on habitat, especially in critical or sensitive zones such as spawning and nursery areas; 18. not use destructive fishing practices such as fishing with poisons or explosives; 19. minimize operational waste such as lost fishing gear, oil spills, on-board spoilage of catch, etc.; 20. be conducted in compliance with the fishery management system and all legal and administrative requirements; and 21. assist and co-operate with management authorities in the collection of catch, discard, and other information of importance to effective management of the resources and the fishery. 9.2 Interpretation of MSC Principles for Performance Evaluations Along with developing a standard for sustainable fisheries management, the MSC also developed a certification methodology that provides the process by which all fisheries are to be evaluated. The MSC accredits certification bodies (businesses) that can show that the expertise and experience necessary to carry out MSC evaluation is present in the organization. In addition, each certification body must demonstrate its fluency with the MSC standards and evaluation methods through the use of these in a fishery evaluation The methods are provided in great detail through documents that can be downloaded from the MSC website ( The Fisheries Assessment Methodology (FAM) Version 1, released 21 July 2008 is being used for the assessment of the deep-sea red crab fishery. The MSC Principles and Criteria are general statements describing what aspects need to be present in fisheries to indicate that they are moving toward sustainable management. The certification approach or methodology adopted by the MSC requires that any assessment of a fishery or fisheries move beyond a management verification program that simply provides third-party assurances that a company's stated management policies are being implemented. The MSC's 'Certification Methodology' is designed to be an evaluation of a fishery's 17

19 performance to determine if the fishery is being managed consistent with emerging international standards of sustainable fisheries. 9.3 Submission of Data on the Fishery One of the most significant, and difficult, aspects of the MSC certification process is ensuring that the assessment team gets a complete and thorough grounding in all aspects of the fishery under evaluation. In even the smallest fishery, this is no easy task as the assessment team typically needs information that is fully supported by documentation in all areas of the fishery from the status of stocks, to ecosystem impacts, through management processes and procedures. Under the MSC program, it is the responsibility of the applying organizations or individuals to provide the information required proving the fishery or fisheries comply with the MSC standards. It is also the responsibility of the applicants to ensure that the assessment team has access to any and all scientists, managers, and fishers that the assessment team identifies as necessary to interview in its effort to properly understand the functions associated with the management of the fishery. Last, it is the responsibility of the assessment team to make contact with stakeholders that are known to be interested, or actively engaged in issues associated with fisheries in the same geographic location. In the deep-sea red crab fisheries the applicant (NERCHA) provided a critical role in gathering information for use by the assessment team. Besides providing all documents/reports/memos/scientific analyses that were readily available, they proposed adding an amendment to the contract authorizing the assessment team additional time to compile literature for review. 10 ASSESSMENT TEAM PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS MSC PRINCIPLE 1 A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing or depletion of the exploited populations and, for those populations that are depleted, the fishery must be conducted in a manner that demonstrably leads to their recovery. INTRODUCTION Background documents The following introductory text is taken from the Final Report of the Northeast Data Poor Stocks Working Group Meeting, 8-12 December 2008, Woods Hole, MA (NEFSC, 2009). In addition to the aforementioned report, the following documents are the principal references used in the preparation of this section. The original working paper on red crab prepared for the meeting was authored by A. Chute, L. Jacobsen, P. Rago, and A. MacCall (Chute et al. 2009). The most recent stock assessment was prepared and peer reviewed in 2006 by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS, NEFSC) (NEFSC 2006a and 2006b). A Fishery Management Plan for red crab was prepared by the New England Fisheries Management Council in 2002 and the document is available as NEFMC, The Essential Fish Habitat source document for red crab was prepared in 2001 by NMFS, NEFSC, and is available as Steimle et al Complete citations for these documents, and other references use in this report are available at the end of this report in the Literature Cited section. 18

20 Biological characteristics Information in this section is summarized primarily from Steimle et al. (2001) and Wahle et al. (2008). Deep-sea red crabs (Chaceon quinquedens) are a brachyuran crab (family Geryonidae) inhabiting the edge of the continental shelf and slope from Emerald Bank, Nova Scotia, the Gulf of Maine, and south through the mid-atlantic Bight and into the Gulf of Mexico. According to Weinberg et al. (2003), genetic differences between deep-sea red crabs from southern New England and the Gulf of Mexico indicate that crabs in the two areas belong to different biological populations (Figure 3). Red crabs in Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic Bight (south of Georges Bank) and the Gulf of Maine (north of Georges Bank) are assumed to be the same stock although fishing occurs primarily off Southern New England. Red crabs in the Gulf of Maine are smaller and the bottom is rough so little fishing for red crab occurs there. Figure 3. The management area used by the New England Fishery Management Council for deep-sea red crab. The portion of the stock in the Gulf of Maine is excluded. Deep-sea red crabs live at depths of m, where temperatures are between 5 and 8 o C. Adult crabs are segregated incompletely by sex. Adult females generally inhabit shallower water than adult males, and juveniles tend to be deeper than adults, suggesting a deep-to-shallow migration as the crabs mature (Haefner, 1978; Serchuk and Wigley 1982). Information on the growth, longevity and mortality of red crabs is scarce. Natural mortality rates were assumed to be 0.2 y -1 in Serchuk (1977) and 0.15 y -1 in the current Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Deep-Sea Red Crab. An assumed longevity of 30 or more years corresponds approximately to M = 0.1 y -1. On the basis of limited laboratory data, red crabs are believed to require 5 6 years to attain a size of 114 mm carapace width (CW). Male red crabs are estimated to mature at about 75 mm CW and to reach a maximum size of about 180 mm CW. Females begin to mature at somewhat smaller sizes and reach a smaller maximum size of about 136 mm CW (Haefner, 1977). As in other brachyuran crabs, the mating male is larger than the female and forms a protective cage around the female while she molts and becomes receptive to copulation. The protective copulatory period 19

21 may last as long as 2 3 weeks in red crabs. The minimum size of males relative to females required for successful mating is unknown. Information about sperm storage is not available for female red crabs. Fishery and management Red crabs in the US waters outside the Gulf of Mexico are managed as a single stock located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic Bight to Gulf of Maine region, although red crabs in the Gulf of Maine are not considered in calculation of reference points, biomass estimates or other management analyses. A small experimental fishery for red crabs was established in the early 1970s. Before the initial targeted survey for red crabs (Wigley et al. 1975), fishery catches were small and sporadic. In the 1980s and 1990s, fishing effort was inconsistent due to market demand. A directed fishery for male red crabs and consistent markets developed in the mid-1990s. The current US fishery for male red crabs has limited entry and as of 2006 consisted of four or fewer vessels 30+ m long. The fishery uses specially designed traps almost exclusively, although small catches are taken also in lobster traps. Fishing occurs year round and catches are made mainly along the continental shelf from the Canadian border (Hague Line), at the eastern end of Georges Bank, to Cape Hatteras, NC, USA, in depths ranging from 400 to 800 m. Annual US commercial landings of red crabs during the period ranged from 466 mt (1996) to 4000 mt (2001); there was no fishery in Since 2002, when the FMP was implemented, landings have been stable at about 2000 t per year. The current fishery is authorized to operate with a target TAC of 2688 mt, and an effort allocation of 780 days at sea. There is no recreational fishery for the species. Minimum market sizes and fishery size selectivity have decreased since the early 1970s. The minimum market size for male deep sea red crabs in 1974 was 114+ mm CW. The minimum market size for male deep sea red crabs in recent years is about 85 mm CW. Fishery size selectivity has been estimated for the current fishery during (L50=92 mm CW) but no selectivity estimates are available for earlier years. Based on limited log book, sea- and port sample information, discards of female and undersize male red crabs appear to average about 30% of total catch but can range from about 10% to 69% of total red crab catch. Discard mortality from being brought to the surface and handled on deck averages about 5% (Tallack 2007). Bycatch of red crab in fisheries directed at other species is minor. The major fishery related uncertainties for red crab are discards, discard mortality, as well as historical and recent fishery size composition. In addition, the expected response of the stock to fishing in terms of growth and recruitment is uncertain. The infrequency of stock assessments is another key uncertainty. Only two stock assessments have been completed for deep-sea red crab off Southern New England (Serchuk 1977; NEFSC 2006a). Both were based on camera/trawl surveys completed just prior to the assessment. Data availability The principle fishery data for red crab are landings data from dealer reports starting in 1973, logbooks that start in 1994, size composition data for marketable males from routine port samples, and sea sample data for females and all males from a pilot program involving one vessel during Landings data from 20

22 dealer reports for years prior to 1982 are less reliable than data for later years. Landings per unit effort data are available from logbooks and dealer reports but are difficult to interpret. The fishery occurs off south of Georges Bank and virtually no fishery data are available for the Gulf of Maine. As described above, discard estimates based on limited sea-, port and logbook data are available and size selectivity estimates for the recent commercial fishery are available from comparison of sea- and port sample data. The principle fishery independent data for red crab are from camera sled/bottom trawl surveys conducted during 1974 and on red crab habitat between Maryland and the eastern tip of Georges Bank (excluding the Gulf of Maine). Camera data provide information about red crab density and bottom tow data provide information and sex- and size composition. The survey data for are generally combined and treated as one survey. Data from a variety of research bottom trawl surveys are of limited use for red crab because catches are very low. The NMFS Cooperative Monkfish Survey may provide some useful information about red crab in the Gulf of Maine. Camera and trawl tows in the 1974 and recent surveys were generally from the same or similar sites and sample locations. The two sets of surveys used bottom trawls of the same design and the same trawling protocols, although different vessels were used. Efforts were made to make camera data from the two surveys as comparable as possible but there is uncertainty about the effective area sampled (and therefore red crab density) by images collected during the 1974 survey. Density estimates from the recent survey are believed to be biased low because crab densities were significantly lower in the foreground (close to the camera sled) than in the background of the sampled area suggesting crabs were avoiding the camera, but the extent of the potential bias is unknown. The most reliable survey data are bottom trawl size compositions from both sets of surveys and density estimates from the most recent surveys. Current stock status Information in this section is summarized from NEFSC (2006a). The most recent formal assessment concluded that overfishing was not occurring because red crab landings during 2005 (2013 mt) were less than an MSY proxy (2830 mt). Recent fishing mortality estimates were available but not used to determine overfishing because no F based reference point or proxy for FMSY was available. However based on data in the most recent assessment, average fishing mortality rate (landings / fishable biomass) on male red crabs was recently estimated by the NEFSC to be F=0.055 (SE 0.008) y -1 during This estimate is probably an underestimate because it does not consider potential mortality due to discarding of undersized male crabs and completely omits mortality due to discarding of females. Fishing mortality estimates are calculated using biomass estimates from surveys during , which are relatively certain but possibly biased low due to avoidance of the camera sled. Red crab biomass is appreciable but catches are currently near zero in the Gulf of Maine. 21

23 Alternate fishing mortality estimates including discards and based on best available discard estimates for sea- and port samples are provided in Table 2 for males only, females only and males plus females. Results indicate that total fishing mortality (including discards) during were F 0.08 y -1 for both sexes and for the sexes combined. The alternative estimates are worse-case scenarios because they assume that 50% of discarded red crabs die, whereas the current best estimate of discard mortality indicate that about 5% of discarded red crabs die from being brought to the surface and handled on deck (Tallack 2007). Discard rates (discard/total catch) were from sea- and port samples during (Table D4.5 in NEFSC 2006a). In this exercise, fishing mortality for red crab was approximated as catch (landings + discards) divided by total biomass and catch divided by 90+ Carapace Width (CW) biomass (the approximation for F are relatively precise because mortality rates are low). Calculations using total biomass may understate fishing mortality because total biomass includes small size groups probably not taken in traps although potential bias may be small because small crabs have low weight. Calculations using 90+ CW biomass may overstate fishing mortality because red crabs of sizes smaller than 90+ CW make up the bulk of the discard. Based on the most recent assessment (Table 3), fishable red crab biomass during was about 36,000 mt. Overfished status was not determined for lack of an adequate BMSY estimate or proxy. Comparisons of biomass estimates from the two surveys are uncertain due to uncertainty about the effective area sampled by cameras during However, Table 2. Total annual mortality due to fishing (landings and mortal discard) during , by sex. Males Females Total Average landings (mt) 1, ,992 Discard/(total male + female catch) Catch (mt, includes all discards) 2,238 2,429 4,667 Discard (mt) 246 2,429 2,675 Discard mortality rate (5 x best estimate) Mortal discard (mt) 123 1,215 1,338 Landings + mortal discard (mt) 2,115 1,215 3,330 Total biomass (mt) 56,443 74, , CW biomass (mt) 38,220 55,279 93,499 F relative to total biomass F relative to 90+ biomass biomass estimates from the two sets of surveys (Table 3) indicate that male fishable biomass (based on current fishery selectivity) increased by about 20% during 1974 to Female biomass (total, 90+ and 114+ CW) increased substantially by 150%-250%. In contrast, total male biomass increased by only 75% and biomass of large (114+ CW) males decreased by about 43%. Size composition data from the surveys indicates that both male and female red crabs have benefited from recruitment in recent years (Figure 4). The loss of large (114+ CW) male biomass and relatively modest increase biomass of males 90+ mm CW can probably be attributed to size-selective fishing (Weinberg and Keith 2003). 22

24 1974 MALES FEMALES TOTAL groups (mm CW) Biomass (mt) SE (mt) CV Biomass (mt) SE (mt) CV Biomass (mt) SE (mt) CV 90+ mm 29,991 6, ,654 3, ,645 7, mm 23,794 4, , ,900 4, Fishable 30,302 6, N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A All 32,190 5, ,674 5, ,864 7, MALES FEMALES TOTAL groups (mm CW) Biomass (mt) SE (mt) CV Biomass (mt) SE (mt) CV Biomass (mt) SE (mt) CV 90+ mm 38,220 4, ,279 7, ,499 7, mm 13,770 1, , ,994 4, Fishable 36,247 4, N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A All 56,443 4, ,689 10, ,132 7, Table 3: Biomass estimates, Standard Errors (SE) and Coefficient of Variation (CV) from deep-sea red crab camera/bottom trawl surveys. The standard errors for 1974 estimates are approximations based on the assumption that CVs for variability among samples was the same during 1974 as during 2003 to The differences in CVs between the two periods are due to differences in assumed effective sample size. Red crab overfishing definitions The Magnuson-Stevens act includes the requirement that all FMPs specify objective and measurable criteria for identifying when the fishery to which the plan applies is overfished. The National Standard Guidelines (NSGs) require the specification of status determination criteria (63 FR 24212). These criteria are to be expressed in a way that enables the Council and Secretary to monitor the stock or stock complex and determine annually whether overfishing is occurring and whether the stock or stock complex is overfished. The National Standard Guidelines define overfished stock conditions and overfishing. According to the NSGs, an overfished stock is one whose size is sufficiently small that a change in management practices is required in order to achieve an appropriate level and rate of rebuilding. A stock is considered overfished when its size falls below the minimum stock size threshold (MSST). The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires a rebuilding plan for stocks that are overfished. According to the NSGs, overfishing occurs whenever a stock or stock complex is subjected to a rate or level of fishing mortality that jeopardizes the capacity of a stock or stock complex to produce MSY on a continuing basis. Overfishing is considered to occur if the maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT) is exceeded for one year or more. Reference point approaches for red crab do not establish a fixed metric or approach to measuring stock biomass or exploitation. Based on the current FMP (NEFMC 2002) overfished stock status and overfishing 23

25 for red crab should be defined in terms of the best available measures of stock biomass and exploitation or fishing mortality relative to the value of the measures under MSY conditions. Choice of the particular measure or proxy depends on best available data and circumstances but a list of potential proxies and conditions is described in the FMP. In particular, based on the FMP, the red crab stock will be considered to be in an overfished condition if one of the following three conditions is met: Condition 1 -- The current biomass of red crab is below ½ BMSY in the New England Council s management area (excluding the Gulf of Maine). Condition 2 -- The annual fleet average CPUE, measured as marketable crabs landed per trap haul, continues to decline below a baseline level for three or more consecutive years. Condition 3 -- The annual fleet average CPUE, measured as marketable crabs landed per trap haul, falls below a minimum threshold level in any single year. Similarly two potential approaches or proxies for identifying overfishing are described: Proxy #1: F / FMSY -- It is common for data sparse stocks to estimate trends in fishing mortality as an exploitation ratio, i.e., landings or catch divided by an index of abundance, usually from a survey. As a proxy for FMSY, Councils in the past have selected an exploitation level that existed during a time with no trend in biomass at an intermediate biomass level. Proxy #2: Landings / MSY In the absence of other information, overfishing can be defined as catches in excess of an estimate of MSY. Although crude, provides an indication of current fishing effort relative to MSY conditions. The FMP describes a default control rule (Figure 5) that could be used by managers, although this has proved impractical due to lack of biomass, exploitation, natural mortality and reference point estimates. Current reference points 1974 Size Frequency CW (mm) Size Frequency CW (mm) Figure 4. Catch per 30-minute trawl by size in the 1974 survey (top) and surveys. 24

26 Information in this section is summarized from NEFSC (2006b). The reference point used as a fishing mortality threshold is MSY = 2,830 mt (6.24 million pounds). The reference point used as a biomass target is BMSY = 18,867 mt (41.6 million pounds) of male red crabs 102+ mm CW (4 CW). The reference point used as a biomass threshold reference point ½ BMSY = 9,434 mt. A suggested CPUE baseline (presumably for use as a target) is market-size crabs per trap, before adjustment for an equivalent number of 102 mm (4 ) CW market-size crabs. In view of survey data limitations and infrequency of stock assessments for red crab, a landings-based BRP (e.g. estimate of MSY) for overall exploitation is appropriate for use as a threshold for exploitation rates in deep-sea red crab. Serchuk s (1977) original MSY estimate (1,247 mt or 2.75 million lbs) assumed an underlying Schafer surplus production model, and used estimated biomass for male red crabs 114+ mm CW from the 1974 camera/trawl survey as an estimate of virgin biomass B0 (114 mm CW was the minimum marketable size at that time). Based on the Schaefer surplus production model, MSY= ½MB0 and it was assumed that FMSY M. For the original red crab estimate, M=0.2 y -1 and B0=24,948 mt of male red crabs 114+ mm CW. The MSY estimate (2,903 mt) currently used by managers was made using the same formula and revised values for M and B0. The revised value for natural mortality M=0.15 y -1 was thought to be a better estimate than M=0.2 y -1 for red crab. The original B0 value was adjusted downward to account for part of the survey being in Canadian waters, adjusted upward to include male crabs 102 mm (4 ) CW and larger, as compared to the 1974 marketable size of 114 mm (4.5 ) CW, and adjusted upward again to account for the fact that the area fished is larger than the area surveyed. The adjustments took away biomass which now belongs to Canada, and added biomass to account for the area of the fishery south of the survey boundary to Cape Hatteras. Reference point weaknesses In the most recent stock assessments (NEFSC 2006) the current MSY and BMSY estimates for red crabs were criticized and Figure 5. Default MSY control rule in the FMP for deep-sea red crab. judged unreliable due to uncertainty about biological parameters and the model used to calculate MSY. New estimates were not developed for the for the 2008 Data Poor Stocks Working Group meeting due to lack of information about growth, longevity and trends in abundance. Relatively little new information has become available since the last assessment. However, limited data for related species (Geryon maritae; Mellville-Smith 1989) suggest that M may be as low as 0.1 y -1, which is lower than the previous estimates (0.15 and 0.2 y -1 ). The assumption that FMSY=M has been criticized recently. Walters and Martell (2004) suggest that FMSY is lower and approximately 0.8M for many species. The assumption that BMSY = ½B0 (Schaefer surplus production curve) is reasonable if the underlying spawner-recruit relationship is a Ricker curve. However, BMSY< ½B0 if the underlying spawner-recruit relationship is a Beverton-Holt curve. Beverton-Holt 25

27 recruitment dynamics are more likely for red crab because there is no known biological mechanism that might result in maximum recruitment at intermediate spawning biomass levels. The current BMSY estimate of 18,867 mt in the FMP is for male red crabs 102+ mm CW (4 ) which is not representative of current fishery conditions. The current fishery lands male red crabs 80+ mm and the L50 for current fishery selectivity is 92 mm CW. The survey biomass for 1974 may be a poor estimate of B0 because of statistical variance in the estimate (variances are not available for the estimate), uncertainty about effective area sampled by the camera sled, or because some fishing had already taken place prior to The total biomass for male red crabs during (56,443 mt) exceeds the estimate for 1974 (32,190 mt) despite consistent fishing indicating that the estimate for 1974 is a poor estimate of B0. The fishery appears to have substantially reduced the abundance of the largest male red crabs. Smaller male crabs may not be able to mate with large females. There is concern that reduced abundance of large male crabs may lead to sperm limitation and reduced levels of egg production if there are no males left in the population to mate with the larger females. Landings per unit of fishing effort data (LPUE) are mentioned in the FMP as a baseline stock biomass indicator for red crab but LPUE data have proven difficult to interpret, particularly as long time series (NEFSC 2006a). Results of the 2008 Data Poor Stocks Working Group meeting and Panel Review metric tons Derivation Figure 6. Summary of estimates of sustainable yield for red crab estimated using various methods. The upper boundary of the shaded area is the mean annual landings of red crab since 2002 and the lower boundary represents landings during