CURRENT STATE OF STOCK FOR TANNER CRAB CHIONOECETES BAIRDI RATHBUN, 1924 (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA) AT THE SOUTH-EASTERN COAST OF KAMCHATKA

Tanner crab Chionoecetes bairdi is the highly valuable object of commercial fishery dwelling in the seas surrounding Kamchatka Peninsula. Its landings started at the southeastern coast of Kamchatka in early 1980s and continued till 2009, when the fishery was stopped by reasons independent on the stock state. It was launched again in 2017. Now the species is landed mostly in the Petropavlovskaya fishery subzone (62 % of the total allowable catch of tanner crab in Russia in 2019), whereas its stocks at southwestern Kamchatka and in the northwestern Bering Sea are rather low. Modern condition of the tanner crab population and its distribution at southeastern Kamchatka are considered on the data of the trap surveys conducted in spring and summer of 2012 and 2018. Between these years, commercial males of these species spread wider at southeastern Kamchatka and formed commercial aggregations in the northern Avachinsky Bay and in the southern and central parts of the Kronotsky Bay, but were rare southward from Cape Povorotny. They became larger: while size of the males varied in the range 50–170 mm in both years, the males with the carapace width < 120 mm prevailed in 2012, but the large-sized males with commercial size were more numerous in 2018. Percentage of the females in the catches was low both in 2012 and 2018 that is typical for the trap catches. The crabs at the 3rd stage of molting dominated both in May and August of 2012 and 2018. Injury level of the commercial males was rather high and increased from 2012 to 2018 in 8 %. Good current condition of the tanner crab population at southeastern Kamchatka is concluded.

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Regional Variation in the Size of Maturity of Two Species of Tanner Crab (Chionoecetes bairdi and C. opilio) in the Eastern Bering Sea, and Its Use in Defining Management Subareas

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f81-022 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 163-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

David A. Somerton

Keyword(s):

Bering Sea ◽

Regional Variation ◽

Carapace Width ◽

Minimum Size ◽

Computer Technique ◽

Eastern Bering Sea ◽

Commercial Harvest ◽

Tanner Crab ◽

Size Limits ◽

Chionoecetes Bairdi

Minimum size limits for the commercial harvest of tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi and C. opilio) are based on the sizes of sexual maturity. Establishing such size limits in the eastern Bering Sea is complicated by a large regional variation in the size of maturity. A computer technique was developed which partitioned the eastern Bering Sea into subareas that were relatively homogeneous with respect to the size of maturity. The best partitioning for C. bairdi was a separation of the eastern Bering Sea into two subareas along 167°15′N longitude. No acceptable partitioning could be found for C. opilio. The size of 50% maturity for male C. bairdi was estimated to be 108.9 mm carapace width in the western subarea and 117.0 mm in the eastern subarea. The size of maturity upon which the current minimum size for C. bairdi is based is nearly the same as the size estimated for the western subarea but significantly less than the size estimated for the eastern subarea.Key words: crabs, size of maturity, Chionoecetes bairdi, Chionoecetes opilio, tanner crab, eastern Bering Sea

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Size at Maturity in the Male Alaskan Tanner Crab, Chionoecetes bairdi, as Determined by Chela Allometry, Reproductive Tract Weights, and Size of Precopulatory Males

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada ◽

10.1139/f72-069 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 423-427 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Ralph B. Brown ◽

Guy C. Powell

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Tract ◽

Carapace Width ◽

Commercial Fishery ◽

Frequency Data ◽

Morphometric Measurements ◽

Commercial Catch ◽

Tanner Crab ◽

Male Brood ◽

Size At Sexual Maturity ◽

Chionoecetes Bairdi

An Alaskan Commercial Fishery for tanner crab, Chionoecetes bairdi, has recently developed. Only males are legally taken. No size limit exists and the objective of the study was to determine size at sexual maturity as a biological basis for maintaining male brood stocks in adequate numbers. Morphometric measurements, reproductive tract weights, and size of precopulatory males indicate that 50% of the males are mature at about 110-mm carapace width. Using commercial catch size frequency data, the proportion of immature males in the commercial catch was interpolated at less than 3%.

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Current state of stock and fishery of red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus at West Kamchatka

Izvestiya TINRO ◽

10.26428/1606-9919-2020-200-245-269 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 200 (2) ◽

pp. 245-269

Author(s):

P. Yu. Ivanov

Keyword(s):

Shelf Zone ◽

Red King Crab ◽

Total Allowable Catch ◽

King Crab ◽

Population Decrease ◽

Fishing Vessels ◽

Current State ◽

Crab Population ◽

Commercial Stock

Current state of the red king crab population at West Kamchatka is considered on the data of bottom trawl surveys and fishery statistics since 2013. Some biological parameters of the crabs and assessments of the commercial stock are presented; recent condition of the red king crab fishery and evaluation of the total allowable catch are discussed. The red king crab fishery was resumed in 2013, after 8 years of ban caused by the population decrease. During the ban, the stock restored and exceeded the value observed before the ban: the total accounted abundance of red king crab in 2017 was about 244 . 106 ind. that was the highest level for the last two decades, with the number of commercial males estimated as 110 . 106 ind. — this amount was never observed before on the shelf of western Kamchatka, at least in four decades of surveys. Recently the northern forbidden district and Khayryuzovsky district of the shelf zone lost their role of the main areas of crabs reproduction and their juveniles feeding, in favour to the Ichinsky district located southward. Recent fishery of red king crab is fruitful and sustainable. In the last 3 years, the major part of annual catch is transported alive to ports of China and South Korea. For this purpose, the caught crabs are sorted strictly aboard fishing vessels and the largest males are released back to the sea. Possibly, year-to-year increasing of the males size on the West Kamchatka shelf is caused by this sorting and releasing; another effect of the large-sized crabs releasing is relatively low number of recruits in the last couple of years. The fishery elimination coefficient is estimated in the range 5–16 % of the total accounted stock for 2013–2019, that shows a highly precautionary approach. Gradual decreasing of the crab commercial stock is forecasted for the nearest future, though the stock will remain above the target value. Current state of the red king crab population at West Kamchatka is not considered as dangerous, and ongoing intense fishery of this valuable species within the recommended volumes will not affect this sustainable state.

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On reproductive biology of tanner crab Chionoecetes bairdi Rathbun, 1924 (Crustacea, Decapoda) females at southeastern Kamchatka

Izvestiya TINRO ◽

10.26428/1606-9919-2020-200-884-894 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 200 (4) ◽

pp. 884-894

Author(s):

O. G. Mikhailova

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Biology ◽

Sexual Maturity ◽

Reproductive Effort ◽

Reproductive Characteristics ◽

Southeastern Kamchatka ◽

Tanner Crab ◽

Chionoecetes Bairdi ◽

First Time

Fecundity and some other reproductive characteristics of tanner crab Chionoecetes bairdi females are studied for the first time in the area at southeastern Kamchatka on the materials collected in spring and summer aboard research vessels (in 2016 and 2019) and fishing boats (in 2020). The females with new eggs prevailed in the catches. The size of functional sexual maturity was determined as 79 mm. The implemented fertility was estimated as 93.4 ± 28.1.103 eggs in 2016 and 115.7 ± 24.5.103 eggs in 2019, on average. Reproductive effort and K/r-coefficient were evaluated; their relatively high values confirmed r-strategy of tanner crab reproduction.

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