US: Red king crab hatchery study provides glimmers of hope for Alaska

Frozen Crab

Seafood

United States

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Innovation & Technology

Published Mar 28, 2024

Tridge summary

A recent study by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center has revealed that releasing Alaska red king crab from hatcheries at the juvenile stage could significantly improve their survival rates while reducing operational costs. This finding, part of the AKCRRAB program, offers new hope for enhancing red king crab populations in areas like Kodiak and Bristol Bay, where numbers have been declining. The research suggests that early release could also help the crabs better withstand environmental challenges such as ocean acidification, potentially securing the future of Alaska's crab fishing industry.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

A new study that found releasing Alaska red king crab as early as possible after they are reared in a hatchery may improve young crab survival and save operational costs has crab harvesters hopeful. The study, conducted by scientists from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, showed the best time to release hatchery-reared red king crab is right after they transition from free-swimming planktonic larvae to bottom-dwelling juveniles. "Red king crab is likely a good candidate for stock enhancement," the scientists said in their report. US federal fisheries agency NOAA, universities, state and tribal governments and others are also examining the feasibility of a red king crab hatchery program through the Alaska King Crabs Research, Rehabilitation, and Biology (AKCRRAB) program. “The next step to effective stock enhancement is developing strategies that maximize post-release survival,” said Chris Long, lead author and research fishery biologist at the agency's Kodiak Laboratory. "It's ...

Source: Intrafish