US: Bristol Bay king crab season is off to a good start in Alaska

Published Oct 30, 2024

Tridge summary

The article reports on the ongoing Bristol Bay king crab fishing season in U.S. waters, highlighting its early success with a 29% catch of the total allowable catch, including high-quality crabs. The season has seen improvement in king crab stock numbers, with over 680,000 pounds landed so far. Additionally, the snow crab season has also opened following market stock recoveries. The prices for jumbo king crabs have increased to $10.00/lb, and the Tanner crab catch in the eastern Bering Sea has reached a 10-year high, marking a significant season for crab fisheries in Alaska.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

“The crab that’s been landed so far has been high quality — new shell, good size, good fill,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) biologist Ethan Nichols told Dutch Harbor Public Radio. About 29 percent of the total allowable catch (TAC) for the Bristol Bay king crab fishery had been caught as of Oct. 23, a little more than a week into the season, according to Nichols. So far, captain reports and observer catch reports show signs of a productive fishery in U.S. waters, he said. About 14 vessels have landed about 680,000 pounds of king crab. The average weight is 6.84 pounds, and the catch limit is 35 males per pot. Both of those numbers are slightly higher than last year, KUCB reported. Fisheries managers set a TAC for king crab at 4.62 million pounds, Undercurrent News reported. The snow crab season also opened after two closures due to collapsed market stocks. Dutch Harbor Fisheries Advisor Frank Kelty said recent surveys show king crab stocks are improving, but cautioned ...

Source: Fishretail