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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on August 25, 2007
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2007 64(8):1587-1591; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsm125
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© 2007 The Author(s)
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

The feasibility of escape mechanisms in conical snow crab traps

Paul D. Winger and Philip J. Walsh

Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources, Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, PO Box 4920, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5R3

Correspondence to P. D. Winger: tel: +1 709 778 0430; fax: +1 709 778 0661; e-mail: paul.winger{at}mi.mun.ca

Winger, P. D., and Walsh, P. J. 2007. The feasibility of escape mechanisms in conical snow crab traps. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 1587–1591.

Laboratory observations and morphometric measurements of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) were conducted to examine the feasibility of incorporating rigid escape mechanisms into conical snow crab traps to improve trap selectivity. Under laboratory conditions, undersized adolescent male snow crab (≤94 mm carapace width) were capable of detecting, approaching, and interacting with escape mechanisms, and the location of the mechanisms was important in determining the likelihood of escape success. Escape mechanisms mounted low on the exterior wall of the trap received more than three times the number of penetration attempts than those mounted higher, although successful escape rates were very low. There was no difference in behaviour or escape success between traditional mesh traps and experimental wire (Aquamesh®) traps fitted with escape mechanisms. Morphometric measurements suggest that an escape diameter of 95 mm would optimize the egress of small crab and prevent the loss of legal-sized crab.

Keywords: conical trap, escape mechanism, size-selectivity, snow crab

Received 31 August 2007; accepted 21 June 2007; advance access publication 25 August 2007.


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