Snow Crab underwater in the St. Lawrence River in canada
Last month Bristol Bay king crab and Bering Sea snow crab season were cancelled after low population counts during the summer. This closure affected approximately 60 fishing fleets based out of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and results in a nearly $287 million loss. Now, senators from Alaska and Washington are seeking disaster relief to help fishing communities affected by this outcome.
The goal of fishery closures is to help diminished populations recover by not removing any individuals for a fishing season. However, what caused these populations to dwindle so dramatically is still unclear, and likely due to multiple causes. Stress from warming waters could cause populations to migrate, while certain types of fishing gear could damage critical crab habitat.
Moreover, both crab species have different population trends. King crab populations have been in decline for nearly 20 years, while snow crabs tend to follow a sort of “boom-bust” cycle leading to huge populations quickly followed by low numbers. So, what is driving down crab counts is also related to how their populations behave. Although crabs have been documented moving to colder waters, that may not be the case this year.
Alaska King Crab
Now Alaska’s two Republican senators are joining forces with Washington’s two Democratic senators to ask U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to declare this situation a disaster via the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which is the guiding legislation for fisheries at the federal level. More broadly, the senators’ letter to the Commerce Secretary discusses the cascading impacts of the crab fisheries’ closures on processors and restaurants:
“Red king crab and snow crab are highly valued commodities traded internationally and relied upon by businesses that advertise these specialty foods at their restaurants and shops. Yet, the longer the disaster declaration and funding process takes, the greater the impact on our fishermen who are already facing incredibly difficult decisions that could include closing their businesses or filing for bankruptcy this year.”
