CRITERIA FORR CUASTWILE
COASlVlII£ C[B
CRABCO['1DITION
COi®ITION SM1'
LING
SPIPLING
CRITERIA
C. Dale
Dale Snow,
Snow, Nelson
Nelson E.
E. Stewart,
Stewart, Walter
Walter Dahistrom,
Dahlstrom,
C.
and
and Herb
Herb Tegelberg
Tegelberg
Dungeness
entifi c Committee
ttee
Dungeness Crab
Crab Sci
Scientific
Committee Sub-Commi
Sub-Committee
on
Studies
on Crab
Crab Condition
Condition Studies
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
At
the June
3, 1975
1975 meeting
meeting of
of the
the Dungeness
Dungeness Crab
Crab Subcouncil,
Subcouncil, it
it was
was pointed
pointed
At the
June 3,
out
pending action
in the
the California
California Legislature
Legislature would
provide emergency
emergency
out that
that a
a bill
bill pending
action in
would provide
authority"for
the California
California Department
Department of
of Fish
Fish and
and Game
Game to
to delay
delay the
the opening
opening date
date
authorityfor the
of the
the crab
crab season
season up
up to
to one
one month
month if
if the
the crabs
crabs were
were in
in poor
poor condition.
condition. If
If this
this
of
change in
in California's
regulations occurred
and season
season adjustments
adjustments had
had to
to be
be made,
made,
change
California's regulations
occurred and
the states
Oregon and
and California
California would
would need
need to
to sample
sample crab
crab for
for shell
shell
the
states of
of Washington,
Washington, Oregon
some other
other indicator
indicator of
of meat
meat yield.
yield.
condition or
or some
condition
Any
Any coastwide
coastwide sampling
sampling program
program
would have
have to
to be
be conducted
conducted uniformly
uniformly so
so that
that data
data generated
generated in
in the
the three
three states
states would
would
would
be
be comparable.
comparable.
Consequently,
the Scientific
Consequently, the
the Dungeness
Dungeness Crab
Crab Subcouncil
Subcouncil directed
directed the
Scientific
Committee
condition that
that would
be applicable
applicable
Connittee to
to develop
develop criteria
criteria for
for determining
determining crab
crab condition
would be
three states.
states.
in
in all
all three
This
report was
developed by
by the
the Scientific
Scientific Committee
Committee SubSubThis report
was developed
committee to
to comply
comply with
with that
that directive.
directive.
committee
METHODS
FOR DETERMINING
DETERMINING CRAB
CRAB CONDITION
CONDITION
METHODS FOR
Two
crab condition
condition are
are considered
considered acceptable
acceptable at
at this
this
Two methods
methods for
for determining
determining crab
time.
time.
The
consists of
of the
the physical
physical application
application of
of pressure
pressure to
to aa crab's
crab's
The first
first method
method consists
exoskeleton
how recently
recently the
the animal
had molted.
molted. The
theory is
is that
that aa
The theory
exoskeleton to
to determine
determine how
animal had
crab with
with a
a soft
soft or
or flexible
flexible shell
shell is
isaa crab
crab that
that has
has not
not completely
completely filled
filled out
out with
with
crab
meat since
since shedding.
shedding.
meat
The second
second method
for evaluating
evaluating condition
condition consists
consists of
of determining
determining
The
method for
meat yield.
yield.
the percent
percent pick-out
pick-out or
or meat
the
Following
Following are
are recommended
recommended procedures
procedures for
for each
each
above methods:
methods:
of
the above
of the
Shell
Condition
Shell Condition
(1)
(1)
Sample aa minimum
of 100
100 legal-sized
legal-sized male
male crab
crab per
per sampling
sampling area.
area.
Sample
minimum of
Sample sublegal
sublegal
Sample
males
when available.
available.
males when
~
" .•. ..'<.:--~
-2-2-
(2)
Classify
condition I,
I, II,
II, or
or III.
III.
Classify crabs
crabs as
as condition
(2)
These
be determined
determined
These conditions
conditions will
will be
by squeezing the
the carapace
carapace between
between thumb
thumb and
and forefinger
forefinger at
at the
of the
the tenth
the base
base of
tenth
by-squeezing
antero-1ateral spine
spine (lateral
(lateral horn).
horn).
antero-lateral
Criteria for
for the
the three
three classes
classes of
of condition
condition
Criteria
are:
are:
a.
a.
Condition I.
I.
Condition
b.
Condition
II.
Condition II.
b.
Shell hard,
Shell
hard, little
little or
or no
no flexibility
flexibility in
in the
the carapace.
carapace.
Shell
intermediate (flexible)
(flexible) between
between II and
and
Shell hardening,
hardening, intermediate
III.
III.
c.
c.
Condition III.
III.
Condition
Recently
flexible and
easily cracked
cracked
Recently molted
molted softshe11s,
softshells, flexible
and easily
by
pressure.
by finger
finger pressure.
Make
Make observations
observations on
on width
width frequencies,
frequencies, mating
mating marks
marks and
and shell
shell color.
color. The
latter
(3)
The latter
(3)
two items
items could
could indicate
indicate to
to what
extent molting
may be
be imminent.
imminent.
two
what extent
molting may
It
have
It is
is recognized
recognized that
that at
at times
times exceptions
exceptions to
to the
the above
above classification
classification may
may have
to
be made.
made.
to be
Crabs
barnacled shells
shells can
can be
be relatively
relatively flexible
flexible
Crabs with
with old,
old, discolored
discolored and
and barnacled
prior to
to molting,
but are
are to
to be
be considered
considered condition
condition I.
I.
prior
molting, but
Crabs in
near the
the
Crabs
in some--areas
som&areas near
Columbia River
River never
never get
get as
as firm
firm as
as those
those from
from other
other areas
areas (rubber
(rubber legs)
legs) and
and when
when
Columbia
recognized should
should be
be classified
classified as
as condition
condition I.
I.
recognized
Pick-out
(Meat Yield)
Pick-out (Meat
Viel4l
(1)
Sample a
a minimum
minimum of
male crabs
Sample
of 100
100 legal-sized
legal-sized male
crabs per
per sampling
sampling area.
area.
(1)
Hold
prior to
to processing.
processing.
(2)
(2)
Hold crabs
crabs in
in seawater
seawater until
until just
ju± prior
(3)
(3)
24 hours
hours of
of capture.
capture.
Process
crabs within
within 24
Process crabs
(4)
(4)
Drain
five minutes
immediately after
after removal
removal from
from
Drain crabs
crabs approximately
approximately five
minutes immediately
water
and then
then place
place in
in plastic
plastic tubs.
tubs.
water.and
(5)
(5)
Record
Record green
green weight
weight of
of crabs
crabs to
to the
the nearest
nearest pound,
pound, including
including any
any additional
additional
or blood
blood loss.
loss.
drained
drained water
water or
(6)
(6)
Back
Back and
and eviscerate
eviscerate crabs.
crabs.
(7)
(7)
Cook sections
sections in
in freshwater
freshwater and
and recover
recover all
all legs
legs and
and body
body parts.
parts.
Cook
(8)
(8)
Cool prior
prior to
to picking.
picking.
Cool
(9)
(9)
Pick-out all
except that
that in
in leg
leg tips
tips within
within 24
24 hours
hours using
using conventional
conventional
Pick-out
all meat
meat except
shake-out
procedures.
shake-out procedures.
'
-3-3-
(10)
(10)
picked meat
meat (wet
Weigh picked
(wet meat
meat yield).
yield).
Weigh
(11)
(11)
Brine
picked meat
meat by
by standard
standard brining
brining procedures.
procedures.
Brine picked
(12)
(12)
Drain brined
bri ned meat
meat 15
15 minutes
minutes and
and weigh.
weigh.
Drain
(13)
(13)
Calculate
- wet
Calculate yields
yields wet weight
weight and
and brined
brined weight.
weight.
i
wJ
RECOMMENDED
PROCEDURES FOR
FOR PRESEASON
PRESEASON SAMPLING
RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES
SAMPLING
recognize that
that the
the pick-out
pick-out or
or meat
meat recovery
recovery method
method would
would provide
provide the
the best
best
recognize
I
measure
crab condition.
condition. However,
percentages acceptable
to the
the different
measure of
of crab
However, pick-out
pick-out percentages
acceptable to
different
processors vary
vary and
and procedures
procedures are
are not
not standardized.
standardized.
processors
This
is due
due in
in part
part to
to the
the
This is
•
fact that
processors sort
out the
the better
better crabs
crabs for
for sale
sale as
as wholeshells
wholeshells and
and
fact
that some
some processors
sort out
pick-out the
processors may
pick-out all
all the
the crabs,
crabs, and
and other
other
pick-out
the "junk"
"junk" crabs,
crabs, some
some processors
may pick-out
processors may
sell all
all or
or nearly
nearly all
all crabs
crabs as
as wholeshells.
wholeshells.
processors
may sell
Studies
in Washington
Washington
Studies done
done in
indicate that
pick-out percentages
percentages determined
outlined in
in this
this report
report would
consistindicate
that pick-out
determined as
as outlined
would consiste~tly provide
higher meat
estimates than
than those
those determined
determined by
by industry.
industry.
ently
provide higher
meat yield
yield estimates
-- In
recommend that
the shell
be adopted
adopted
In view
view of
of the
the foregoing
foregoing we
we recommend
that the
shell condition
condition method
method be
to be
be used
used for
for determining
determining crab
crab condition
condition prior
prior to
to the
the season
season
as
as the
the basic
basic method
method to
possible pick-out
pick-out data
should also
also be
be obtained
obtained to
to substantiate
substantiate
opening,
opening, and
and whenever
whenever possible
data should
the shell
shell condition
condition data.
data.
the
Following are
are recommended
recommended procedures
procedures for
for preseason
preseason sampling:
sampl ing:
Following
(1)
(1)
Use pot
pot run
run samples
samples only.
only.
Use
100 legal-sized
legal-sized male
crabs per
per sampling
sampling area
area and
and aa minimum
minimum
(2) Sample
Sample aa minimumof
minimumof 100
male crabs
(2)
of
500 crabs
crabs per
per state
state per
per sample
sample period.
period.
of 500
40 days
days prior
prior to
to the
the scheduled
scheduled season
season opening.
opening. The
The need
need for
for further
further
(3) Sample
Sample within
within 40
(3)
sampling
depend upon
upon results
results of
of the
the initial
initial samples.
samples.
sampling would
would depend
(4)
(4)
as shell
shell condition
condition I,
I, II,
II, or
or III
III as
as described
described earlier
earlier and
and calculate
calculate
Classify
crabs as
Classify crabs
by grade.
grade.
the percentage
percentage by
the
For
purposes softshells
softshells are
are condition
condition II
II and
and
For descriptive
descriptive pUrposes
III
hardshells are
are condition
condition II crabs.
crabs.
III crabs,
crabs, and
and hardshells
--
vr
-4-4-
(5)
(5)
Examine condition
condition II crabs
marks, barnacles,
barnacles, etc.
etc. to
to determine
determine
Examine
crabs for
for mating
mating marks,
that are
are prospective
prospective molters.
molters.
percentage that
percentage
RECOMMENDED CONDITION
CONDITION CRITERIA
SEASON OPENING
RECOMMENDED
CRITERIA FOR
FOR SEASON
OPENING
If
less than
the crabs
crabs would
be
If preseason
preseason sampling
sampling indicates
indicates that
that less
than 80
80 percent
percent of
of the
would be
hardshell at
the season
season opening,
consideration should
should be
be given
given to
to delaying
delaying the
the
hardshell
at the
opening, consideration
season
opening.
season opening.
of 80
80 percent
percent would
would minimize
minimize discard
discard handling
handling
A hardsheilpercentage
hardshell percentage of
A
mortality
and would
provide reasonably
reasonably high
high quality
quality crabs
crabs that
that would
would yield
yield approximately
approximately
mortality and
would provide
25 percent
percent wet
recovery as
determined by
by the
the methods
outlined in
in this
this report.
report.
25
wet meat
meat recovery
as determined
methods outlined
•
Prepared
the State/Federal
State/Federal
Prepared for
for the
Dungeness
Crab
Management
Program
Dungeness Crab Management Program
August
August 1975
1975
6.ti
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