Leslie analyses of commercial snow crab trap data: a comparative study of catchability coefficients

If we could determine the relationship between catch rates in a trap survey and absolute population size, then we could estimate the standing stock of snow crabs before the fishing season from a survey conducted with traps. One way to calibrate the catch rates is to examine available historical Leslie analyses of commercial catch data obtained over several years and quantify the relationship between catch rate at the beginning of the season and the corresponding population estimate obtained by the Leslie analysis. Data from several different regions can be made comparable by expressing catches and efforts on an areal basis. Results obtained from data from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia suggest that this approach may be feasible.