ARCHIVED - Rock Crabs (Cancer irroratus) in Northumberland Strait, Fishing Areas 25 and 26A

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Fig 1: Rock Crab Fishing Areas in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Rock crabs (Cancer irroratus) are distributed from the intertidal zone to a depth of 40 meters. On average, female and male rock crabs mature at 57 and 75 mm respectively. Female rock crabs carry eggs beneath the abdomen until hatched and the larvae are present in the plankton between mid-June and mid-September.

The rock crab fishery began during the 1960's as a by-catch of the lobster fishery. A directed exploratory fishery (independent of the lobster fishery) was begun in 1974, but was limited in size until the late 1980's, when expanding markets and increased value resulted in a substantial growth in effort.

Rock crab landings (tonnes) in Northumberland Strait ( Areas 25 and 26A)
Year	Area 25	Area 26A	Total
1992	354	551	905
1993	604	1,422	2,026
1994	1,281	1,902	3,183
1995	1,192	2,204	3,396
1996	794	1,796	2,590
1997	1,133	2,917	4,050
1998	1,180	2,549	3,729
1999	1,290	1,920	3,210
2000	1,444	2,293	3,737
2001	1,560	2,499	4,059
2002	1,604	2,218	3,822

Female rock crabs may not be kept during the directed fishery or as a by-catch of the lobster fishery. The minimum legal carapace width for male rock crabs is 102 mm in Area 25, and 105 mm in Area 26A. Male rock crabs take approximately 6 years to reach commercial size

The directed fishery has limited entry, trap limits, and seasons.