An annual snow crab survey is conducted on the Scotian shelf by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for the purposes of stock assessment. The snow crab fishery is one of the most valuable fisheries in Atlantic Canada and the Scotian Shelf component of this fishery is considered to be the most conservatively managed and relies heavily on quality data from this survey to make informed management decisions.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) requires the service of a vessel to use as the platform for this research. This vessel will carry a crew complement of at least four (4) members in addition to four (4) scientific personnel (DFO Staff and Contractors) which will be contracted separately. The objective of the contract is the successful completion of all planned stations in the annual snow crab trawl survey, up to a maximum of 420 stations including 24 “expanded sampling” stations on an annual basis.
