2009 Petrel Bank red king crab pot survey

This report documents the methods and results of the 2009 Petrel Bank pot (trap) survey on the distribution and relative abundance of red king crabs Paralithodes camtschaticus in the central Aleutian Islands waters of the Petrel Bank area. The primary purposes of this survey were to provide information needed by fishery managers to consider a fishery opening in the 2010/11 season and to address the need discussed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council Crab Plan Team (CPT) during their September 2008 meeting for stock assessment data from the Adak red king crab stock. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) conducted the survey aboard the chartered F/V Arctic Fury, a 44.2-m commercial crab-pot-fishing vessel from November 6 to December 5, 2009. Results on the catch and sex-size composition of only the red king crabs encountered during the survey are presented. Most red king crabs captured during the survey occurred in a limited portion of the surveyed area and were predominately larger, matured-sized crabs. Size distribution of captured males provided no expectations for near-term recruitment of legal males. In comparison to results from the same stations fished during the 2006 ADF&G Petrel Bank pot survey, the catch of red king crabs during the 2009 survey occurred in a more limited area and the catch of legal males was lower.