October 19, 2023 — In the short term, Alaska crab fishermen and the communities that depend on them will get a slight reprieve from the disastrous conditions they have endured for the past two years, with harvests for iconic red king crab to open on Sunday.
In the long term, the future for Bering Sea crab and the people who depend on it is clouded by environmental and economic upheaval.
The decision by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to open harvests of Bristol Bay red king crab after an unprecedented two-year shutdown was a close call, a state biologist told industry members during a meeting Oct. 12.
In the short term, Alaska crab fishermen and the communities that depend on them will get a slight reprieve from the disastrous conditions they have endured for the past two years, with harvests for iconic red king crab to open on Sunday.
In the long term, the future for Bering Sea crab and the people who depend on it is clouded by environmental and economic upheaval.
The decision by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to open harvests of Bristol Bay red king crab after an unprecedented two-year shutdown was a close call, a state biologist told industry members during a meeting Oct. 12.