When the Northern cod fishery in Atlantic Canada collapsed, many fishermen looked to the snow crab fishery as an alternative way to earn a living.

Now the snow crab fishery is in difficulty on two fronts. The market value of crab is down, and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has reduced the quota.

As of April 7, the price per pound was $1.05 (Canadian) and was expected to remain there until April 22. The price is set by a panel created by the Newfoundland/Labrador government.

Earle McCurdy, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers in Newfoundland said that the last time the price had been that low was 1998. “If it doesn’t improve, you’re going to see a lot of fishermen go out of business,” he said.

Reasons given for the decline were the high Canadian dollar and oversupply problems, which have driven down the price of snow crab. Several years ago the fishery had a value to the provincial economy of about $500 million.

“Some fishermen have said that they’d take a chance on waiting a while and see if things are going to look up,” McCurdy said. “That’s a decision individual fishermen will have to make. The market is volatile, always has been.”

He added that the provincial government should do a better job of marketing.

In a related development, federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola Hearn announced in late March a reduction in the snow crab quota for the Newfoundland/Labrador Region. The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2006 is 46,233 tons, compared to a 2005 TAC of 49,943 tons, a reduction of 7 percent.

The fishery opened on April 5.

“This fishery must be managed so it remains viable over the long term,” Hearn said. “A cautious approach is the best way forward. The management measures announced today will continue to put the necessary conservation safeguards in place to protect the future of this fishery. I have listened carefully to the findings of our scientists, what fishers themselves have told me and my Department, and the advice of the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (FRCC). We will continue to work together on the stewardship and conservation of this valuable resource.”

Hearn added, “The high mortality associated with the incidental catch of soft-shell and undersize crab is seriously threatening the crab resource in some areas and changes to management measures must be made or the crab simply won’t be there to catch in future years. The season will open earlier this year and close earlier and there will be no season extension in any area. This is the best way we have of reducing the mortality of soft-shell crab.”

McCurdy didn’t dispute Hearn’s decision but said only, “It’s always difficult to face something like this,” adding that he hoped for “an enhanced shared stewardship” of the fishery in the future.