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Management of the brown crab ( Cancer pagurus ) fishery in Ireland

Explore stock assessment, fleet trends, and economic impact in the Irish brown crab fishery. Learn about policy effectiveness and management planning for a sustainable future.

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Management of the brown crab ( Cancer pagurus ) fishery in Ireland

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  1. Management of the brown crab (Cancer pagurus) fishery in Ireland Oliver Tully Irish sea Fisheries Board (BIM) tully@bim.ie

  2. This presentation …. • Stock assessment summary • Trends in fleet activity • Economics of inshore pot fishery • Effectiveness of policy and regulation • Fishery management planning … towards a solution

  3. Landings of crab into Ireland 1952-2004

  4. Evolution of Irish landings from Area VI

  5. Distribution of the Stock • Open population • Distributed over 45000 km2 • Contiguous with VIIb • Northern limit unknown • Seaward to over 200m depth

  6. Landings of crab from Area VI south of 57oN * A proportion of the landings may be from VIIa

  7. Landings (2004) by ICES rectangle into • Ireland • Northern Ireland • Scotland

  8. Fishery Assessment Data • Landings per unit effort • Egg per recruit assessment • Fishing effort and distribution

  9. Landings Per Unit Effort • Offshore : • Data on 80% of all effort since 1990 • for each string of traps • GPS location, date • Landings • Number of pots • Soak time • Inshore : • Daily landings to processors • Daily landings and effort per vessel

  10. Standardisation of Landings Per Unit Effort data • Statistically Standardised (GLM) for effects of • Soak time • Vessel effects • Seasonality of fishing effort • Annual and seasonal changes in location • Gear competition

  11. LPUE : effects of gear soak time At day 2, 44% higher than at day 1

  12. Seasonal effects on LPUE 1990 2004 LPUE varies seasonally – stronger differences between months during early 1990s

  13. Standardised LPUE offshore 1990-2004 1 2 3

  14. Geographic variation in Area VI Autumn Stanton Bank fishery Spring Shelf Edge Fishery Spring Stanton Bank fishery Summer Shelf Edge Fishery

  15. Landings, effort and catch rate Catch rate and annual effort highly correlated Returns at high effort levels proportionally less Is it cum

  16. LPUE : Inshore fleet

  17. Egg per recruit: Maturity Average landing size Minimum (market) landing size Size at maturity female crab

  18. Egg per Recruit or Spawning Potential This target is met if the MLS is 140mm, mean size at maturity is 120mm and if F is less than or equal to 1.0

  19. Evolution of the Fishery Fishing in 1997 Fishing in 2005

  20. Evolution of the Fishery

  21. Economic Viability Larger Vessels have more pots but this is variable Total annual costs are related to the number of pots owned

  22. Costs and Earnings subtract The Theory ! =

  23. Summary • Early 1990s: • high catch rate, • low costs, • large number of vessels, • low effort per vessel • Lower landings • Market expanding, new products • 2002-2008 • low catch rate, • high costs, • fewer vessels, • high effort per vessel • High landings • Market saturation for some products

  24. Policy and Regulations • Minimum landings size of 130mm which applies between 48-56oN. The MLS is 140 mm north of 56oN • Kw days for vessels over 15m is limited (Council Regulation (EC) 1415/2004). • Landing of crab claws greater than 1% of the total weight of the catch on board is illegal • Licencing policy : not specific for crab

  25. Are the Regulations Effective ? What are the objectives ?

  26. Crab Management objectives (includes elements of biological, economic, social and environmental objectives) • To maintain stocks at a level such that economically viable and biologically sustainable returns are possible for operators • To balance the capacity for economic return to individual operators with the distribution of benefits at local community level • To comply with environmental Directives

  27. Policy options Input control………………effort, licences Regulation Output control ………………..quota, Technical measures ……………..minimum sizes

  28. Policy consistent with objectives Net benefit = (catch rate*effort*unit price) - costs • Costs increase linearly with effort • Catch rate declines linearly with effort Conclusion : policy should aim to regulate effort

  29. Policy: regulate effort Operators need a licencing system that provides enough security to allow them to rebuild catch rate Therefore ….. Manage access to the fishery

  30. Policy: regional management of access • Eg. Irish lobster fishery • 8 management units • Limited GTs in each unit • Limited transferability across units

  31. Crab Management objectives (includes elements of biological, economic, social and environmental objectives) • To maintain stocks at a level such that economically viable and biologically sustainable returns are possible for operators • To balance the capacity for economic return to individual operators with the distribution of benefits at local community level • To comply with environmental Directives

  32. Management Planning Process Status of the Stock (Scientific data) Profile of the Fishery (Fleet and economic data) • Objectives • Strategies • Indicators • Reference points • Regulations Management Plan NNWRAC ?

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