Post-Season Survey Demonstrates Groundfish Predation Concentrated in Offshore 2J3K

Onboard observers and technicians recorded the presence of groundfish in crab pots during the post-season CPS survey in 2025. As expected, groundfish are not distributed evenly throughout the survey area but are concentrated in the offshore portions of 3K and 2J.

Groundfish were present in 24% of small mesh pots in 3K4, compared to less than 1% of small mesh pots in 3K inshore. Similarly, groundfish were found in small mesh pots in 25% of offshore 2J stations, versus 3% of inshore 2J stations.

Groundfish were less common in 3Ps, occurring in only 9% of all small mesh pots (5% inshore and 12% offshore). Groundfish were rare in pots in 3LNO and 4R, occurring in only 4% and 5% of small mesh pots in those assessment divisions overall.

These data were presented at the 2026 assessment.

It is clear that groundfish predation impacts are uneven across the stock area. The sight of cod, skate, and catfish in their crab pots during the spring fishery and fall survey was not new to 2J and 3K offshore harvesters.

Questions remain regarding how these predators affect trap survey indices of crab biomass and recruitment. We continue to work on the unanswered questions from the 2026 assessment.

Crab harvesters from 3K and 2J and the FFAW continue to press DFO Science and Resource Management to address criticisms and acknowledge on-the-water observations of a rapidly but unevenly changing marine environment. This means, as a start, to consider the status of inshore and offshore 3K CMAs separately, given the very different predator and catch rate profiles.