September 27, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council has voted up a new set of specifications for the Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery for the 2024 through 2027 fishing years. The Council’s package maintains total allowable landings at 2,000 metric tons annually, which is roughly equivalent to 4.41 million pounds. This is the same landing limit implemented for fishing years 2020-2023. The fishing year for deep-sea red crab begins on March 1.
The Council’s decision was based on a recommendation from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), which supported a 2,000-metric-ton acceptable biological catch (ABC) for this fishery. The SSC and Council both considered the findings of the 2023 Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Management Track Stock Assessment before making decisions.
The fishery for Atlantic deep-sea red crab typically consists of four active vessels operating out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, which is where the product is processed.
The fishery is market driven, and landings often do not reflect availability of the resource but, rather, the limitation on market outlets. Market demand has increased in recent years, as has the carapace width of landed crabs, which also is likely due to market demand.