Abstract

Commercial and recreational stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) fisheries primarily occur along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of the southeastern United States and the northeastern Caribbean. This unique claw-only fishery operates under the premise that harvested crabs that are returned to the ocean alive may survive to generate their claws and potential-ly re-enter the fishery, however a wide range of survival rates casts doubt onto the true sustainability of this fishery. In addition, anecdotal evidence indicates that recapture rates in the fishery are low, despite previous research that has shown that lab-based capture (using baited traps in large tanks before and after claw removal) is repeatable and largely unaffected by a lack of claws for individuals that survive the harvest process.