Snow Crab Commercial Catch Measurements in the St. Lawrence, 1984-2003 and 2005-Present

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Quebec region collects biological data on commercial catches for stock assessment. This dataset on snow crab includes metadata, sample and specimen weights, shell width and condition, sex, and right claw height. Data collection began in 1984, with coverage for 1984-2003 and from 2005 to the present.

Use Cases

• Analyzing snow crab population demographics based on sex and size measurements.
• Modeling stock structure and health over time based on shell condition and weight data.
• Assessing spatio-temporal trends in commercial catches for fisheries management.
• Studying growth patterns and morphometrics using shell width and claw height measurements.

Strengths

• Data spans multiple decades, covering 1984-2003 and 2005 to present.
• Includes multiple biological measurements per specimen: weight, shell width, condition, sex, and claw height.
• Collected by specialized DFO staff with a mandate for biological data collection.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Some information is simplified or excluded to protect confidentiality, such as precise capture dates and vessel details.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Sampling of commercial catches at wharf or at sea by DFO staff.

Time Range

1984-2003 and 2005 to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-24 08:10:06.403331; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence