November 20, 2019 — Next fall, the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery could face its first closure in 25 years.
This season, the 54-vessel fleet has reported slow, spotty fishing, and the stock continues to show signs of decline. The current quota — 3.8 million pounds — is the lowest since the fishery was rationalized in 2005.
“A lot of boats had to scratch their way through the season,” said Ethan Nichols, assistant area management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “There were only one to two large schools of legal males that were reported to us from captains out on the grounds. So the season was definitely a bit of a grind.”
With 99 percent of the harvest landed, Nichols said the average number of crab caught in each pot is down five from last season, marking the lowest catch per unit effort since rationalization.
The average crab weight, however, continues to go up.
“Last year, it was 7.1 pounds. Right now, we have an average weight of 7.14 pounds,” said Nichols. “It’s the highest average weight in the history of the fishery.”