The Blue Swimming Crab Fisheries in the Visayan Sea, Philippines: A Review of Assessment Information and Analysis Options

Abstract:

This report presents the result of reviewing and evaluating BSC data collected by the Philippine’s National Stock Assessment Program in Regions 5, 6, and 7, where the country's main BSC fishing grounds are. It provides an overview of the analysis options viable for these regions (traditional or conventional stock assessment but also relatively new and potentially useful analytic approaches) and determines new reference points for the fishery. Assessments conducted indicate that the BSC stock in the Visayan Sea is highly overfished. Some of the assessment models used indicate the need for reduction of fishing effort by about half (49%) from the 2018 level and an increase in length-at first capture to 11.5 cm from the current 9.75 cm captured by bottom-set gillnets and crab pots/traps, the dominant gears exploiting BSC in the Visayan Sea.