'People are really going to have to make some hard calls here,' said crabber Gabriel Prout, after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced two major fishery closures Monday.
For the first time ever, the Bering Sea snow crab fishery will not open for the upcoming season. Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game announced the closure Monday afternoon. The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery will also be closed this year — for a second year in a row.
“The real shocking part is the total and complete collapse of the snow crab fishery which no one expected last year when it happened, and a complete closure this year was equally as shocking,” Prout said. “And then in 2021 when they surveyed, we saw the largest decline we’ve ever seen in the snow crab population, which was very startling, I think, for everyone,” Westphal said. “It wasn’t something we expected, we were expecting to have this record recruitment come through the population.”
There is a small tanner crab fishery slated to open on Oct. 15 in the Bering Sea. Prout said that’s a Band-Aid, though.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Alaska cancels Bering Sea king and snow crab seasons over worries of population collapseAlaska officials have canceled the fall Bristol Bay red king crab harvest, and in a first-ever move also scuttled the winter harvest of smaller Bering Sea snow crab. Via The Seattle Times
Read more »
Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, October 11, 2022Tonight on Alaska News Nightly... Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Kelly Tshibaka say President Biden was wrong to cancel student debt. Bering Sea king and snow crab fisheries will be closed this year. The Fat Bear Week fan tracking the tournament. Listen:
Read more »
Low crab counts force closure of crabbing seasonsThe Fish and Game department said the 2022-23 red king crab season in Bristol Bay was closed due to counts that are below what the department deems sustainable levels, as was the snow crab season in the Bering Sea.
Read more »
Alaska cancels Bering Sea king and snow crab seasons over worries of population collapseAlaska officials have canceled the fall Bristol Bay red king crab harvest, and in a first-ever move also scuttled the winter harvest of smaller Bering Sea snow crab. Via The Seattle Times
Read more »