Evaluation of the Viability of a Stone Crab Fishery in South Carolina Using a GIS – Year II
Problem/Opportunity Statement:
The proposed project aims to address the funding priority of other new ideas by evaluating the viability of a stone crab fishery in South Carolina using GIS. No long-term surveys exist to estimate population size of the stone crab in South Carolina. Adequate information to determine population abundance and health is not available. The project will build on last year's project to develop new gear for the commercial harvest of stone crab claw under the unique conditions of South Carolina's coastal zone. Initial results indicate that my system has a higher catch per unit effort (CPUE) than traditional methods, and that stone crabs can be the targeted seafood product and not just a by-catch. For this project, size and composition of catch, tag and recapture data, site parameters, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, and bathymetry data will be integrated, analyzed, and presented using a geographic information system. This data can be made available to managers at SCDNR to help estimate abundance of populations of stone crab and potential as a fishery.
Objectives:
The stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) is the largest of the xanthid crabs within its range and is the only one to support a fishery. In Florida the annual stone crab landings are valued at well over $4 million, placing this species among the State's top ten commercially important marine species. In South Carolina, the stone crab fishery continues to be primarily a by-catch of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) industry and as a result often is not handled in a manner that delivers a quality product. This is largely because stone crabs are typically found on sandy or hard bottoms which are often deep areas with strong currents. Results are indicating that stone crab can be a small targeted fishery in South Carolina if a suitable trap and long line system of fishing is used.
A field survey of stone crab population densities will be conducted by continuing to collect data on catch per unit of effort, combining this information with site location and other site data, and using GIS analysis. Movements and growth of crabs will be observed and recorded, as well, by tagging, releasing and recapturing some of the stone crabs. GIS will be used to track movements of crabs as well as to estimate spatial distribution densities of the stone crab related to site parameters.