Preliminary discussions suggest a potential reduction of nearly 10,000 metric tonnes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence's quota, contrasting last year's figures.

Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada’s leading Snow Crab producing area, contributing upwards of 50,000 metric tonnes annually the past 2 seasons.

In recent years, Canada consecutively produced upwards of 90,000 metric tonnes for the global markets, with the U.S. being a significant importer, a demand unlikely to wane, especially amidst the U.S. sanctions on Russian seafood imports.

Snow Crab pricing in the North American markets stayed quite low throughout 2023. A shortage in Canadian supply, combined with the Russian seafood ban, may lead to upward price pressure.



Moving onto the other Snow Crab fisheries, Norway’s season just ended with over 9700 metric tonnes harvested - possibly an all-time-high for that fishery.

Russia’s total allowable catch is on par with previous years, with around 30,000 metric tonnes for the Far East, and 15,000 for the Barents Sea.

China continues to be a very strong market for Russian Crab, following Japan and South Korea as also strong and open markets for the Russian supply.

In Alaska, the Snow Crab fishery stayed closed for a second consecutive year, and if they do re-open, we will know by October as this fishery operates through the fall and winter.

Keep tuned-in to our weekly updates as it’s anyone’s guess when Fisheries and Oceans Canada will confirm catch limits and openings.

On-top of which, negotiations between Union and snow crab producers in Newfoundland have been strained over crab pricing, with the union advocating for higher prices and industry reforms to allow outside buyers, aiming to introduce more competition.



Failed negotiations led to a six-week delay in opening this fishery last year.

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