Alternative bait trials in the Barents Sea snow crab fishery

OPILIO AS

Tomas Araya1, Leonore Olsen2, Lasse Rindahl2, Roger B. Larsen3, and Paul D. Winger1

1 Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada. 2 SINTEF Nord AS, N-9008 Storgata, Tromsø, Norway. 3 BFE, Norwegian College of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Breivika, Tromsø, Norway. Snow crab invasion

Small Snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio). (Helmer Hanssen research cruise, 2016) Natural distribution range of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio). (Alvsvåg et al. 2009)

18000 $500 16000 14000 $400

12000 Millions $300 10000 8000

Tonnes $200 6000 2.5 tonnes 4000 $100 2000 (NOK) value Landed 0 $0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019* Year * January 01, 2019 to October 28, 2019 Tonnes Landed value (CAD)

(Norges Råfisklag, 2019) Snow crab fishery Fishing gear

Plastic jar Mesh bag

Fleets of 150 – 200 traps

Snow crab trap Fleet of traps. (SUBPESCA) Bait intensive fishery

Regulations Norway: • 12,000 traps per vessel • Haul traps every 3 weeks • Fishery closure form June 15th to September 15th Norwegian fleet 1 kg squid X 12,000 traps X 10 vessels X 13 deployments = 1,520 tonnes squid/year = 5.7 million CAD Squid bait

Using squid to capture more valuable species  conservation and societal issue

• Rising cost of baits

• Proper ecosystem function when forage fish are removed

• Consumption of fossil fuels and CO2 production from squid bait fishery

• Food grade quality suitable for human consumption

• Imported from South America Alternative baits

Harp Seal fat Harp Seal fat with skin Harp Seal meat (SF). (SFS). with bone (SMB).

Minke Whale fat with skin (WFS). Minke Whale meat with fat (WMF).

• Experimental traps: • Control traps: 1 kg alternative bait  6 bait pieces 1 kg squid  6 whole squids (0.5 kg in the bag and 0.5 in the jar) (0.5 kg in the bag and 0.5 in the jar) Whole squid.

Fishing area Counting and measuring snow crabs

• Count of commercial snow crab (Male, hard shell and ≥ 100mm CW)

• Measurement of carapace width (1 to 3 individuals per trap haul)

Counting and measuring snow crabs Results CPUE (number of crabs (≥100mm CW) per trap haul)

Mean soak Mean Treatment Mean CPUE n time depth (m) (days) Control 9.87 322 8.5 245 Seal fat 13.84 37 10.3 242 Seal fat/skin 13.00 40 8.9 214 Seal meat/bone 2.05 19 8.3 244 Whale fat/skin 1.79 61 7.4 272 Whale meat/fat 2.81 36 8.1 252 Results CPUE

Negative Binomial GLM log = + + +

𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 𝛼𝛼 𝛽𝛽1𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 𝛽𝛽2𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 ∗ 𝛽𝛽3𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 𝜀𝜀

* * *

-79.3% -75.8% -57.7% Results Carapace width

Sublegal-sized Treatment Mean CW (mm) n crab (<100 mm) Control 112.75 2601 16.03% Seal fat 113.49 53 11.32% Seal fat/skin 113.47 106 8.49% Seal meat/bone 108.82 17 17.65% Whale fat/skin 109.50 30 26.67% Whale meat/fat 109.94 31 29.03% Results Carapace width

Gaussian generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMMs) = + + + b: random variable fleet (variability among fleets) 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 𝛼𝛼 𝛽𝛽1𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 𝑏𝑏 𝜀𝜀 Results Carapace width

Two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests Discussion

Bait performance

• Seal fat and Seal fat w/skin  no significant effect on CPUE or CW (and cumulative distribution of CW)

• SM, WFS and WMF  significantly decreased CPUE Discussion

(Meghan Donovan) Discussion

Success of new bait

In addition to catchability, the success of any new bait in a commercial fishery depends on its storage logistics, price and availability,.

• Storage logistics  Preserved in barrels with salt and water (squid requires freezer storage)

• Price  SF 57% cheaper (savings in the order of 3.2 million CAD/year – 10 vessels 2019) Discussion

Bait availability • Demand bait Norwegian fleet ~ 1,520 tonnes (10 vessels in 2019) • Seal catch (1+seal = 2 pups): • 2017  ~ 2,000 1+ seal  ~ 58 tonnes seal fat (100 kg per 1+seal X 29% fat) • 2018  ~ 5,000 1+ seal  ~ 145 tonnes seal fat • TAC ~ 35,000 1+seal for Barents Sea, White Sea and Greenland Sea  ~ 1,000 tonnes seal fat

Possible solutions: • Import from nearby regions  Newfoundland and Labrador • Mix seal fat with other components (wheat starch, garlic, and brown sugar) • Test performance of other by-products from land farming (poultry mortality) • Less depletion  use less or reuse bait Discussion

Conservation benefits of using seal fat bait

• Reduce dependency on food grade squid  growing demand and importance in human nutrition and food security

• Bait with reduced fuel consumption, when compared to squid activity with lower carbon footprint

• Reduces waste and full usage of the animal

• Increase economic benefits of seal harvesters Thanks

@tomas_araya_s

[email protected] www.mi.mun.ca