Networking for Increasing Sustainability in Snow Crab Fisheries in the Arctic

Bycatch of undersized and juvenile crabs, lost gear that continues to trap marine life (so-called “ghost fishing”), and plastic pollution from non-degradable pot materials threaten Arctic marine ecosystems and challenge the long-term profitability of the industry through unintended and unaccounted snow crab mortality.

To tackle these issues, the project Networking for Increasing Sustainability in Snow Crab Fisheries in the Arctic brought together scientists from research institutions from Norway (UiT The Arctic University of Norway), Canada (Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland), Denmark (Technical University of Denmark), and Greenland (Greenland Institute of Natural Resources) to share their knowledge and develop practical solutions to main challenges in this fishery. The project ran from 2024 to 2025, supported with UArctic project funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.

Snow crab pots are made of metal frames and plastic (polyethylene) netting. They allow some small crabs to escape through mesh openings while pots are on the seabed, but many remain trapped and may be injured and die after release during catch sorting onboard. If lost, these pots pose an even greater problem, continuing to catch crabs for years and contributing to marine litter. These challenges require collaborative innovations and sharing of knowledge from the institutions that have separately carried out research on this fishery, which was the aim of this project.

During this project, online and in-person workshops and meetings took place. The first in-person meeting was held in the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada in May 2024. It brought together researchers and industry representatives to explore gear modifications that improve size selectivity and efficiency, as well as the potential to reduce environmental impact.

The second workshop, held in UiT The Arctic University of Norway in December 2024, included research trials onboard R/V “Helmer Hanssen” in the Svalbard zone of the Barents Sea by testing selective escape gaps in snow crab pots to reduce small crab bycatch. Results confirmed that these gaps reduce the capture of undersized crabs without affecting target-sized catches. Participants also emphasized the potential of biodegradable components to minimize ghost fishing and plastic waste. Both workshops involved direct engagement with fishers and gear manufacturers, as the proposed solutions should be suitable for industry adoption.

The project strengthened collaboration among the four UArctic member institutions and involved scientists, students, and industry stakeholders. The findings highlighted that fishing gear modifications such as escape gaps and use of biodegradable materials can make fisheries in the Arctic more sustainable and improve the state of the Arctic marine environment. However, this research should be supplemented by further investigations, and future research will focus on biodegradable materials and technical innovations that balance the improvements for reducing environmental impacts with that of optimal catch efficiency and profitability of the fishing industry.

Photo: Kristine Cerbule

Thanks to financial support from Arctic governments, UArctic is able to provide funding towards collaborative projects of its members. The funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research supports collaboration between Norwegian UArctic member institutions and the wider network, and it targets new projects focused on Arctic research and education across all fields of science.