Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab

Deep-sea red crab (Chaceon quinquidens) is commercially fished with traps and very numerous on the continental slope at depths between 200 and 1800 meters from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida

About the Species

The Atlantic deep sea red crab fishery is managed in the U.S. from roughly the latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina, northward to the U.S.-Canada border, extending eastward from the shore to the outer boundary of the exclusive economic zone and northward to the U.S.-Canada border. The directed fishery is conducted year round, uses only trap/pot gear, and takes place primarily between 400 to 800 meters along the continental shelf. The market for red crab is picked and packaged crab meat for human consumption. Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subpart M.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Malacostraca
Order	Decapoda
Family	Geryonidae
Genus	Chaceon
Species	quinquedens

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

Recreational Fishing Regulations

There are currently no recreational possession restrictions for red crab caught in federal waters. Recreational anglers must still comply with minimum fish size regulations for all recreational fisheries.

Recreational anglers will need to get a general recreational fishing license either through your state or through NOAA Fisheries to fish recreationally for marine species. Visit our permit office or recreational fishing pages for more information.

Reporting A Recreational Catch

This is not applicable for the deep-sea red crab fishery. Visit the Greater Atlantic Region's recreational fishing page for more information about recreational reporting in general.

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

Commercial Fishing Regulations

Possession and Size Requirements

The federal possession limits for deep-sea red crab are dependent on the type of permit:
Open access permits have a possession limit of 500 lb.
Limited access permits do not have a federal possession limit.

There are no federal size limit requirements in the commercial red crab fishery.

Female Red Crab Restriction: No vessel may catch, possess, transport, land, sell, trade, or barter, female red crabs in excess of one standard tote (~100 lb) of incidentally caught female red crabs per trip.

Processing At-Sea Restriction: No vessel may fully process red crab while at sea

Mutilation Restrictions: In addition, no vessel on a dedicated red crab trip may possess red crab claws and legs separate from red crab bodies, in excess of one standard tote (~100 lb). Vessels fishing under the open access regulations (open access permitted vessels or limited access permitted vessels fishing for red crab incidentally) may not possess any red crab claws or legs separate from red crab bodies and may not possess more than two claws and eight legs per red crab body.

Current Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Specifications (March 1, 2023-February 29, 2024)

Overfishing Limit (OFL)	Unknown
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC)	4.41 million lb
Annual Catch Limit (ACL)	4.41 million lb
Annual Catch Target (ACT)	Not Applicable
Total Allowable Landings (TAL)	4.41 million lb
Optimal Yield (OY)	Unknown

Reporting A Commercial Catch

Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR)

VTRs must be submitted with a record of all fishing activity for each month. The reports must be submitted to NOAA fisheries or postmarked within 15 days after the end of the reporting month. Reports can also be submitted electronically through our online reporting page.

Other Reporting Information

The commercial red crab fishery does not have any Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), or specific observer requirements. However, all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program.

Commercial Gear Information

Red crab traps/pots are defined as “any structure or other device, other than a net or parlor trap/pot, that is placed, or designed to be placed, on the ocean bottom and is designed for, or is capable of, catching red crabs.”

Limited access red crab vessels may fish with or carry on board up to a total of 600 traps/pots when fishing for red crab.
Each trap may not be larger than 18 cubic feet, and they may be rectangular, trapezoidal, or conical only, unless otherwise allowed by the Regional Administrator.
No one may haul or remove lobster, red crab or fish from parlor traps/pots when fishing on a dedicated red crab trip.
Red crab traps/pots, fished in 200 fathoms (365.8 m) or less by a vessel issued a limited access lobster permit, must comply with the lobster trap tagging requirements.

Gear markings

All buoys used at the end of each red crab trawl must have the letters “RC” painted on the top of each buoy.
The vessel's permit number must be painted on the side of each buoy to clearly identify the vessel.
The number of each trap trawl, relative to the total number of trawls used by the vessel (i.e. “3 of 6”) must be painted on the side of each buoy. The letters and numbers must be at least 3 inches (7.62 cm) in height.
Each trap trawl is required to have high flyers and radar reflectors.

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

Subsistence Fishing Regulations

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

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Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

Management Overview

The red crab fishery is managed by the New England Fishery Management Council, and NOAA Fisheries implements the regulations.

The fishery is managed using a total allowable landings limit (quota), within an annual catch limit; and accountability measures framework. There are also limited access and open access permits within the fishery with different possession limits.

The fishing year runs from March 1 through the end of February, and there are no specified management areas for the fishery; with NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region jurisdiction covering the area of the Atlantic Ocean from 35° 15.3' N. Lat., the approximate latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC, northward to the U.S.-Canada border, extending eastward from the shore to the outer boundary of the exclusive economic zone and northward to the U.S.-Canada border.

Control Date for the Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery: March 1, 2000

Specifications/Quotas

The Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requires the specification of catch and harvest limits for up to three years at a time. If specifications are not in place at the start of the fishing year, the existing specifications roll over until new regulations are finalized.

Current Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Specifications (March 1, 2023-February 29, 2024)

Overfishing Limit (OFL)	Unknown
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC)	4.41 million lb
Annual Catch Limit (ACL)	4.41 million lb
Annual Catch Target (ACT)	Not Applicable
Total Allowable Landings (TAL)	4.41 million lb
Optimal Yield (OY)	Unknown

Inseason Actions

When the TAL is projected to be harvested, the Regional Administrator will reduce the red crab possession limit to 500 lb, for all vessels, including limited access vessels.

Accountability Measures (AM)

If the red crab TAL/ACL is exceeded, then a pound-for-pound deduction will be taken from the next year’s TAL/ACL.

Regulatory History

2000 – Industry requested Council to develop a limited access management plan due to concerns about the increased number of vessels targeting red crab.
2001 – Emergency measures implemented to prevent overfishing while the Council developed a Fishery Management Plan (FMP). These emergency measures were in effect from mid-2001 until late 2002, when they were replaced by the FMP.
2002 – Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab FMP implemented. The FMP included limited access permit qualification criteria, a target total allowable catch (TAC) limit, trip limits, trap limits, a days-at-sea (DAS) system that equally distributes the DAS across the fleet, a prohibition on landing female red crab, and an annual specifications process.
2005 – Framework 1 established a multi-year specifications process and continued the same target TAC (5.928 million lb) and DAS allocations (780 fleet DAS) as the previous years.
2007 – Amendment 1 standardized bycatch reporting methodology.
2008 – The Northeast Fisheries Science Center conducted a stock status review under the Data Poor Stocks Working Group, which recommended a reduced catch limit for the red crab fishery.
2009 – NOAA Fisheries implemented emergency measures to address the Data Poor Stocks Working Group’s recommendations for reduced catch while the Council developed specifications for the 2010 fishing year. The emergency measures reduced the target TAC to 3.56 million lb (from 5.928 million lb) and the fleet DAS allocation to 582 (from 780 fleet DAS).
2010 – The Council submitted specifications for the 2010 fishing year that were the same as those implemented in the emergency rule. However, prior to the implementation of the final rule, the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee recommended an adjustment to Council’s recommended specifications. NOAA Fisheries did not have the regulatory authority to alter the specifications in the final rule, so the originally proposed specifications (3.56 million lb/582 fleet DAS) were implemented. However, an in-season adjustment was implemented by the Regional Administrator at the request of the Council. The in-season adjustment increased the target TAC to 3.91 million lb and the fleet DAS allocation to 665.
2011 – Amendment 3 established annual catch limits and accountability measures for the fishery, and eliminated DAS and trip limits for the limited access red crab fleet. The target TAC was changed to a “total allowable landings” or TAL by this rule. Amendment 3 also established a TAL of 3.91 million lb for the 2011-2013 fishing years.
2013 – Three-year specifications were implemented for 2014-2016 using the recommended status quo ABC equal to the long-term average landings of the directed red crab fishery for fishing years 2011-2013. Due to the data poor nature of the fishery, the Council agreed with the conclusion that historical landings of male red crab and historical discarding practices appear to be sustainable for the time being, and that an interim ABC based on long-term average landings is safely below an undetermined overfishing threshold and adequately accounts for scientific uncertainty. These specifications maintained a TAL at the same levels already in effect under Amendment 3.
2015 – Amendment 4 implemented Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology.
2017 – Three-year specifications were implemented for 2017-2019 using the recommended status quo ABC equal to the long-term average landings of the directed red crab fishery for fishing years 2014-2016. Due to the data poor nature of the fishery, the Council agreed with the conclusion that historical landings of male red crab and historical discarding practices appear to be sustainable for the time being, and that an interim ABC based on long-term average landings is safely below an undetermined overfishing threshold and adequately accounts for scientific uncertainty. These specifications maintained a TAL at the same levels already in effect under Amendment 3.
2018 – Amendment 2 implemented revisions to regulations for essential fish habitat designations and protections. The measures are designed to minimize to the extent practicable the adverse effects of fishing on essential fish habitat.
2020 – Four-year specifications were implemented for 2020-2023 based on the results of the most recent peer-reviewed assessment of the red crab fishery carried out by the Data Poor Stocks Working Group in 2009 and the recommendations of the Council’s SSC. The recommended specifications include a 12.7-percent increase for 2020-2023 when compared to the previous specifications. The Council and its SSC asserted that the increased catch limit will not result in overfishing and adequately accounts for scientific uncertainty due to past performance of underharvesting past specifications. Recent landings, landing per unit of effort, port samples, discard information, and economic data suggest there has been no change in the size of the red crab stock since Amendment 3 was implemented in 2011.

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

Science Overview

Red Crab Stock Status Information

Very little is known about the life history and stock status of deep-sea red crab, but the New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) has recommended that the long-term average landings by the directed red crab fleet appears to be sustainable. Even though the overfishing limit is unknown, the SSC considers long-term average landings to be sufficiently below whatever that value is likely to be. Unlike most fisheries, no reliable discard estimate could be determined for red crab. Therefore, the acceptable biological catch, annual catch limit, and total allowable landings are currently all equal to the long-term average landings of 3.91 million lb of male crabs.

Red Crab Management Unit Map & GIS

Map depicting Red Crab Management Unit in the Greater Atlantic Region.

September 12, 2019 - Map ,

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

Data & Maps

Map

Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 Map

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Map

Red Crab Management Unit Map & GIS

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 01/31/2023

Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab