At its June council meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) advanced a proposal for a new Tanner crab conservation area on the east side of Kodiak Island around Barnabas Gully, indicating its preference that the area be closed to commercial trawling.
This comes after the 2026 Tanner crab fishery off of Kodiak Island was closed in 2026 due to low abundance.
According to a release by the council, the proposal will help conserve and protect Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Tanner crabs around Kodiak Island while "minimizing negative impacts on groundfish fisheries.”
The Alaska Jig Association, a community-based Alaska fishing group founded in 2004, submitted a public comment in favor of this move prior to the final action, asking the council to no longer allow nonpelagic trawlers in the Tanner crab fishing areas.
“We recommend the council select a preferred preliminary alternative that supports year-round closure for nonpelagic trawl in the custom closure area submitted by Kodiak Tanner crab fishermen,” the association said. “This action will support protections for Tanner crab stocks in a high-density area in the Kodiak region from the impacts of federally managed groundfish fisheries. A year-round closure will minimize groundfish interactions with Tanner crab during their complex life stages, when they are vulnerable to encounters with nonpelagic trawl (NPT) fisheries.”
Additionally, NPFMC’s motion included a framework for the timing and performance of the closure to see if it was effective after implementation. NPFMC also declined to revisit 1980s conservation efforts and closures on Kodiak Island to evaluate if those measures were still proper in present day except for one area – Marmot Bay Flats – due to the “limited abundance of Tanner and red king crab.”
Conservation NGO Oceana welcomed the proposed conservation area around Barnabas Gully, urging the council to oppose trawling in the area.
“Habitat protection areas are vital for the long-term survival of Tanner crab off Kodiak and the viability of the economically vital fishery those crabs support. We’re encouraged that the council is considering alternatives for a new Tanner crab conservation area off Kodiak Island that will not only enhance crab protections but also support the local Tanner crab fishery,” North Pacific Campaign Manager and Marine Scientist Lauren Hynes said in a release.
NPFMC requested another review of the draft from the Scientific and Statistical Committee staff with the recommended revisions.
