Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) traps
This study investigated the behaviour and commercial catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in response to different low-powered LED lights under laboratory and field conditions. We created a novel choice-experiment in a laboratory setting in which we investigated the behaviour of snow crab...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2017-05-01
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| Series: | Aquaculture and Fisheries |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468550X16300557 |
| _version_ | 1797203276638191616 |
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| author | Khanh Q. Nguyen Paul D. Winger Corey Morris Scott M. Grant |
| author_facet | Khanh Q. Nguyen Paul D. Winger Corey Morris Scott M. Grant |
| author_sort | Khanh Q. Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigated the behaviour and commercial catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in response to different low-powered LED lights under laboratory and field conditions. We created a novel choice-experiment in a laboratory setting in which we investigated the behaviour of snow crab in response to coloured LED lights. The results showed that snow crab movement was dependent on light colour, with animals choosing to move toward blue and white lights, away from purple lights, and no detectable effect for green and red lights. We then conducted two field experiments to investigate the effect of the same LED lights on the catch rates of commercial traps during the 2016 snow crab fishery on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Results from the first field experiment showed that adding white and purple LED lights into baited traps significantly improved Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) by 77% and 47% respectively. Results from the second field experiment showed that unbaited traps equipped with only LED lights (no bait), could also catch snow crab in comparable amounts to traditional baited traps, with soak time and depth explaining some of the variation in CPUE. Taken together, these experiments suggest that fishing enterprises can improve their catching performance and profitability by adding LED lights to their traps, or by using LED lights as a bait replacement. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:16:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14550d39666248ddacd8a3e5ff4b8c47 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2468-550X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:16:46Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aquaculture and Fisheries |
| spelling | doaj.art-14550d39666248ddacd8a3e5ff4b8c472024-04-17T03:23:07ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Aquaculture and Fisheries2468-550X2017-05-012312413310.1016/j.aaf.2017.05.001Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) trapsKhanh Q. Nguyen0Paul D. Winger1Corey Morris2Scott M. Grant3Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1C 5R3, CanadaFisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1C 5R3, CanadaFisheries and Oceans Canada, St John's, NL A1C 5X1, CanadaFisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1C 5R3, CanadaThis study investigated the behaviour and commercial catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in response to different low-powered LED lights under laboratory and field conditions. We created a novel choice-experiment in a laboratory setting in which we investigated the behaviour of snow crab in response to coloured LED lights. The results showed that snow crab movement was dependent on light colour, with animals choosing to move toward blue and white lights, away from purple lights, and no detectable effect for green and red lights. We then conducted two field experiments to investigate the effect of the same LED lights on the catch rates of commercial traps during the 2016 snow crab fishery on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Results from the first field experiment showed that adding white and purple LED lights into baited traps significantly improved Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) by 77% and 47% respectively. Results from the second field experiment showed that unbaited traps equipped with only LED lights (no bait), could also catch snow crab in comparable amounts to traditional baited traps, with soak time and depth explaining some of the variation in CPUE. Taken together, these experiments suggest that fishing enterprises can improve their catching performance and profitability by adding LED lights to their traps, or by using LED lights as a bait replacement.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468550X16300557Chionoecetes opilioSnow crabLED lightCatchabilityCrab behaviour |
| spellingShingle | Khanh Q. Nguyen Paul D. Winger Corey Morris Scott M. Grant Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) traps Aquaculture and Fisheries Chionoecetes opilio Snow crab LED light Catchability Crab behaviour |
| title | Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) traps |
| title_full | Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) traps |
| title_fullStr | Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) traps |
| title_full_unstemmed | Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) traps |
| title_short | Artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) traps |
| title_sort | artificial lights improve the catchability of snow crab chionoecetes opilio traps |
| topic | Chionoecetes opilio Snow crab LED light Catchability Crab behaviour |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468550X16300557 |
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