Alternative bait trials in the Barents Sea snow crab fishery

Commercial harvesting of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the Barents Sea started in 2012 by Norwegian fishing vessels. This new fishery has significant bait requirements, representing an emerging conservation challenge. In this study, we evaluate the performance of five alternative (natural) baits manufactured from the waste stream of existing and sustainably managed harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) capture. Five different types of new bait were evaluated, including seal fat (SF), seal fat with skin (SFS), seal meat with bone (SMB), whale fat with skin (WFS), and whale meat with fat (WMF). A comparative fishing experiment was conducted onboard a commercial snow crab fishing vessel in the Barents Sea (May–June, 2016) to evaluate the performance of traditional bait (squid, Illexs spp.) and alternative baits at catching snow crabs. Performance of the different baits were compared on the basis of the number of commercial crab caught per trap haul catch per unit effort (CPUE) and carapace width (CW). Our results showed that SF and SFS performed equally well to traditional bait, with no statistical difference in CPUE (p-value = 0.325 and 0.069, respectively). All of the other experimental baits significantly decreased CPUE, when compared to squid. No significant effect of bait treatment on CW was detected and the cumulative distribution of CW was the same between control traps and each of the bait treatments. Overall the results indicated that SF and SFS represent a viable alternative to replace traditional bait, addressing a key conservation challenge in this bait intensive snow crab fishery.

Svalbard’s ‘Snow Crab Row’ as a Challenge to the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) of the European Union is legally, politically and environmentally of great importance. However, the effectiveness of old regimes to respond to contemporary developments poses several potential challenges to the CFP. This article aims to identify some of these external challenges by highlighting the differing interpretations of the Svalbard Treaty, as well as the introduction of the highly profitable snow crab to the Svalbard Archipelago. In doing so, the invasive nature of snow crabs – whose full impact in the Barents Sea is not yet understood – and their possibly negative effect on other commercial fish stocks will be examined. Additionally, the spatial scope of the Svalbard Treaty, the international rules applicable to the exploitation of snow crabs, and the designation of snow crabs as a sedentary and therefore continental shelf resource, will also be discussed as challenges to the CFP.