Common Name	Snow Crab & Tanner Crab	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Chionoectes opilio & Chionoectes bairdi	Sustainability Information
Market Names	Queen crab (in Canada)	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	Kani	Health/Nutrition

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Snow Crab Market Alert - updated January, 2012

Alaska’s annual snow crab fishery should begin in earnest in mid-January this year and could last until April thanks to a larger quota. Last year, Alaska crabbers landed about 54 million pounds of opilio and this year’s quota is about 90 million pounds. That would make this year’s catch the largest since 1999, when the Alaska fleet hauled in 194 million pounds, which was followed by a more than a decade of lean harvests. Crabbers are hopeful that this year’s catch will mean that the resource has rebounded to the levels of the fishery’s heyday in the 1990s.

The snow crab market has been painful for anyone holding inventory after this September , when the increase in the 2012 Alaska snow crab quota was announced. Since September, the average wholesale  price of 5-8 oz. Canadian clusters has dropped from $6 to $5/lb., resulting in substantial losses.

But don’t look for prices to go any lower.  Reports out of Japan, the largest market for Alaska snow crab, are that preseason sales for bulk opilio crab are being made at  about $5/lb. delivered, which will put section prices at about $5.50/lb. Seattle. Overall demand for crab remains strong as supplies remain tight in spite of the increase in the Alaska snow crab quota. Spotty landings and strong demand from China for live product have pushed Dungeness sections up to an unheard of $7.25/lb. – if you can find product. 

There may be some easing in pricing late this spring when fishermen in Atlantic Canada start fishing opilio. There are concerns that that Canadian quota may be cut, however quotas will not be announced until April.  In recent years, Canadian catches have been running between 180 and 200 million pounds.

Conservation Notes

Life History/Inherent Vulnerability: Snow crabs are less vulnerable to fishing pressure than other species because they are sexually mature at about four years and produce hundreds of thousands of eggs.

Status of Stocks/Abundance: Snow crab abundance is low, according to the Blue Ocean Institute. In the 1990s, North American snow crab populations were overfished and the populations have not yet recovered. The Blue Ocean Institute also reports that recovery is slow and taking longer than expected.

Fishing Impacts on Habitat: The gear commonly used to fish snow crab tends to consist of large steel mesh traps or “pots” that soak on the seafloor for one to three days to attract crab. Gear effects from pots tend to be minimal in this fishery since they are usually set in soft, muddy habitats, according to the Blue Ocean Institute. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service reports that sand and silt environments are less likely to be affected than harder habitats.

Bycatch, Nature and Extent: Most bycatch in this fishery consists of nontargeted crab, females, and juveniles. Some pots also catch octopus, sponges, sea coral, sea stars, and flatfish that are discarded at sea. The pots used to catch snow crab have been modified with escape panels, escape rings, and a specified tunnel size to reduce the likelihood of bycatch, according to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and the Blue Ocean Institute.

Management Effectiveness: Snow crab fisheries have a number of management measures in place to help the population rebuild, including catch limits, gear restrictions, minimum size limits, and area closures for molting and mating, according to the Blue Ocean Institute. Although the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service reports that snow crab is being harvested at a sustainable rate, the population has not yet recovered successfully.

Sustainability Information

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
Snow Crab- bairdi from Alaska Trap/Pot	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Yellow	B List
Snow Crab- bairdi from Canada Trap/Pot				Yellow
Snow Crab- bairdi  & Snow Crab-opilio from Canada Trap/Pot	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Yellow

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch rates snow crab-opilio fisheries from Alaska and Canada and snow crab-bairdi fisheires from Alaska as "Good Alternative" (yellow).  Blue Ocean Institute rates snow crab-opilio and snow crabi-bairdi fisheries from the U.S. and Canada as "Yellow."

Buying Tips

• Most snow crab consumed in the US is imported, with 80% coming from Canada
• The affordability of snow crab make them a good alternative to king crab and shrimp
• Best-quality, high-price snow crab comes from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where some Canadian processors use cryogenic freezers that produce a superior product, but most of this crab goes to the Japanese market
• Most snow crab sections will be packed with some broken legs in the box and should be checked for excess glaze and broken pieces—the industry standard for broken pieces is 10%
• Snow crabs are usually sold as sections or “clusters” (4 walking legs and a claw arm), typically graded 3/5 oz., 5/8 oz. and 8 ups; with 5/8 oz. sections compromising the bulk of the production
• The meat yield from snow crab is about 17% compared to approximately 25% in king and Dungeness
• The dirty brown barnacle-covered shells of older snow crab shells may look unappetizing but can have higher meat content, making them a good bargain, according to some buyers

Nutrition and Health

Acknoledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service