Catches in abandoned snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) pots in the Barents Sea

Approximately 8600 abandoned snow crab pots were recovered, revealing significant ecological consequences.

• Forty-three percent of a subsample of 1000 recovered pots contained snow crabs, averaging three crabs per pot.
• Most crabs were alive (~98%), predominantly large males, but many showed signs of injury and limb loss.
• Injuries tended to be less common in larger crabs.
• Reflex testing indicated that the crabs were active and responsive.
• Low energy reserves in the digestive glands suggest overall energy deficiencies among the crabs.
• High levels of unaccounted mortality may result from self-baiting, ongoing catch, and cannibalism.

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