"Early Landings Of Alaska Crabs Show Signs Of Recovery"

"Bering Sea fishermen have harvested roughly 60 percent of this year’s total allowable harvest of snow crabs. But there’s limited processing capacity for the catch."

"Fishermen have unloaded nearly 3 million pounds of Alaska snow crab at the Port of Dutch Harbor in the Bering Sea, a strong indication the species is recovering from a catastrophic collapse caused by a marine heat wave in 2018 and 2019, fishermen and fisheries officials say.

“Yes, snow crab are looking really healthy and recovering faster than scientists predicted,” Jamie Goen, executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Association, said in an email Friday.

But challenges remain, she said, including the closure of a major processing plant on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea, about 230 miles north of the city of Unalaska where dockside prices are $3 per pound."

Daniel Cusick reports for E&E News February 24, 2025.

SEE ALSO:

"Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishing To Resume, But At An Ultra-Low Level To Encourage Repopulation" (Alaska Beacon)

 

Source: E&E News, 02/25/2025