Total allowable commercial catch review for Queensland spanner crab (Ranina ranina), with data to December 2021

Abstract

This report was prepared to inform on estimated Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) of spanner crabs and potential economic Gross Value of Production (GVP) in managed area A for the forthcoming two quota years 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 and 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.

The harvest strategy uses standardised commercial (sCPUE) and fishery independent survey (sFIS) catch rates from two years, compared against target rates, to calculate TACC. The average 2020–2021 catch rate indicators from two years, standardised using generalised linear models, were: sCPUE = 0.823 kilograms per dilly-net lift and sFIS = 6.623 crab per ground-line. The stock indexes were the ratio of the indicators compared to their targets. The calculated stock indexes were less than 1, signalling catch rates were below target: sCPUE ratio = 0.6 and sFIS ratio = 0.631. The pooled index was 0.616 (average of the two stock indexes). The pooled index means that the fishery was at 62% of its target.

By referencing the pooled index against the harvest strategy, no change in the 847 t TACC was suggested. This TACC corresponded to a potential GVP of around $8 million per year if fully caught.