Bait experiments toward developing a profitable, sustainable, and efficient snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the Barents Sea

Abstract

The development of a new and modern snow crab fishery in the Barents Sea has necessitated significant research and development in sustainable fishing practices. Large offshore fishing vessels from Norway currently face a number of challenges related to baiting traps efficiently, the need to reduce labour requirements, minimizing health risks for fishermen, and the need to find affordable baits with good catching performance. This thesis documents two at-sea field experiments designed to address some of these challenges. The first experiment was a comparative fishing study aboard the R/V Helmer Hanssen in February 2016 to investigate the performance of plastic jar and mesh bag bait protection devices. Results revealed that mesh bags decreased CPUE by 73% when compared to plastic jars. The second experiment was a comparative fishing study aboard the M/S Northeastern in May/June 2016 to investigate the catching performance of alternative baits from harp seal and minke whale fishery by-products in comparison to traditional bait (i.e., squid). Results revealed that baits consisting of seal fat and seal fat with skin produced catch rates comparable to squid, while all of the other experimental baits decreased mean CPUE considerably (up to 97%).