June 10, 2020 — Surveys of Alaska’s fish, crab and halibut stocks in the Bering Sea have been called off or reduced due to constraints and dangers posed by the coronavirus.
In what they called an “unprecedented” move, the fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in late May that five Alaska surveys will be canceled this summer “due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unique challenges those are creating for the agency.”
NOAA said in a statement it found “no way to move forward with a survey plan that effectively minimizes risks to staff, crew, and the communities associated with the surveys.”
The annual surveys are the cornerstone of Alaska’s sustainable fisheries management and provide data on how fish stocks are trending, where they are and, ultimately, how much will be allowed for harvest each year.