The Feasibility of a Claw‐Only Fishery for the Red Rock Crab, Cancer productus

• Published in: Fisheries management and ecology 2024-11
• Main Authors: McGaw, Iain J., Curtis, Daniel L., Van Leeuwen, Travis E., Schneider, Eric V. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0969-997X; 1365-2400
• DOI: 10.1111/fme.12750

The red rock crab, Cancer productus , is primarily harvested by a recreational fishery, with a small commercial harvest in California. Although relatively large, meat yields are low because the legs are small, and meat is largely confined to the claws. We investigated the potential for a claw‐only harvest for this species. Although hand removal is used in the stone crab fishery, it caused > 90% post‐harvest mortality in red rock crabs. Inducing autotomy by inserting a spike into the arthrodial membranes or by cutting into the autotomy plane resulted in a high post‐harvest survival. We recommend a minimum harvest size of 35 mm claw height to produce a claw size similar to medium‐sized stone crabs and standard‐sized brown and Jonah crabs and to ensure that severed claws are unlikely to have come from female crabs, which is important for regions that mandate a male‐only harvest.