The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) released total allowable catch (TAC) numbers for Alaskan red king crab, Tanner crab, and snow crab ahead of the 15 October season opening.
“These TACs reflect the continued careful, science-based management of Alaska’s crab stocks,” Mark Pedersen, CEO of crab processor and wholesaler Keyport, said in a release. “Harvest levels remain measured, and at the same time, the cost of fishing, processing, and getting crab to market continues to climb.”
Analyses conducted by ADF&G and NOAA Fisheries determined that the Bristol Bay red king crab biomass and effective spawning biomass are both above the required threshold for opening, justifying a season stretching from 15 October 2026 to 15 January 2027. The individual fishing quota (IQF) was set at 3.07 million pounds, and the community development quota (CDQ) was set at 341,000 pounds for a total TAC of 3.41 million pounds. ADF&G added that there is no crab pot limit nor buoy tag requirement for this species, and fishermen are permitted to register up to 10 groundfish pots.
The elevated TAC comes just three years after the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery reopened after a two-year closure.
Bering Sea Tanner mature male crab estimates for 2026 are also above the required threshold to open fisheries in both the eastern and western districts, with regulators setting a season from 15 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. In the Western Subdistrict, the IFQ equaled 24.48 million pounds, while the CDQ is 2.72 million pounds, leading to a TAC of 27.2 million pounds.
In the Eastern Subdistrict, the IQF was 4.41 million pounds, while the CDQ was 490,000 pounds, leading to a TAC of 4.9 million pounds.
Total mature snow crab biomass in the Bering Sea District also totaled above the required threshold, allowing the Eastern Subdistrict to open for the season from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027 and from 15 October 2026 to 31 May 2027 in the Western Subdistrict.
The IQF was set at 4.59 million pounds and the CDQ at 510,000 pounds, leading to a TAC of 5.1 million pounds. ADF&G said there is no crab pot limit nor buoy tag requirement in these subdistricts, either, and fishermen can register up to 20 groundfish pots.
The season follows the Bering Sea snow crab fishery reopening in 2025 following a multi-year mortality event, and regulators doubled its catch limits last year after determining the population had sufficiently recovered. Still, the fishery remains far below average, and the state of Alaska asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to issue a fishery disaster determination for the 2024/2025 season due to harvest and revenue numbers falling “well below recent averages.”
Edmonds, Washington, U.S.A.-based crab and frozen seafood wholesale processor and supplier Keyport said in a release that Tanner crab and Bering Sea snow crab fishery TACs continue a “cautious, conservation first approach” while working to rebuild stocks as red king crab and snow crab harvests still remain well below historic levels.
Additionally, Keyport shared a market outlook after ADF&G’s numbers for the season were released. For Bristol Bay red king crab, the “modest adjustment” is a reflection of the slow and steady stock rebuilding.
“Supply remains limited relative to demand for North America’s most iconic crab, and buyers should plan their programs early,” the company said in a release.
Snow crab TAC is also conservative, Keyport added, as stocks are still recovering. For the market, this means domestic snow crab will “remain tight and highly valued this season.”
Alternatively, Tanner crab numbers support larger harvests this season, and Keyport said the TAC numbers support the volume reaching the market gradually on an extended season.
"With harvesting, processing, and freight costs all rising, we expect the market to remain firm,” Keyport said.
