The sharp decline of Bristol Bay red king crab (BBRKC) stocks, which ultimately led to the U.S. state of Alaska to completely cancel the red king crab fishery in the Bering Sea for the winter 2021-2022 season, has crab fishers calling on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) to take action to prevent bycatch of the stock.
The scrubbing of the winter season was the first time that the historically lucrative fishery had been canceled since 1994. The fishery has seen a continued downward trajectory, with low recruitment in the stock.
The downward trend led the NPFMC to launch a study on the stock, which calculated the amount of time pelagic trawls contacted the sea bottom. The totals have the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers calling on the NPFMC for a prohibition of pelagic trawling at any time in the so-called red king crab savings area in Bristol Bay.
“This action would better protect an important area for crab and crab habitat from fishing impacts,” a letter sent by the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers to the NPFMC states. “This time on bottom paired with gear that has footropes and heavy chains that could dig into the mud and that by its design (with forward mesh large enough to drive a car through) is unlikely to bring crab on deck to be observed, has the potential to be having significant unknown effects on crab.”
The letter said under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the council is obligated to prevent overfishing and rebuild stocks, something it says hasn’t happened.
“What we have observed for BBRKC is a 20-year reduction in stock size and harvests,” the letter states. “The stock is at a level of serious conservation concern, nearing overfished status, and clearly and immediately in need of further conservation and management. The starting presumption must be in favor of conservation and protections, even with the unknowns.”
It also pointed out that the closure of the red king crab season has cost the region over USD 200 million (EUR 185 million) in lost revenue.
The council ultimately voted to have its staff prepare an expanded discussion paper for its October meeting, which will include an analysis of the impacts a limitation of trawling would have on king crab, the Cordova Times reported.
Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Executive Director Jamie Goen told the media that the move is a step in the right direction, but that action isn’t happening fast enough.
“When the trend was first starting, the council’s own scientists and managers in 2012 provided detailed recommendations for important actions that could help the stock, including additional protections for females, spawning grounds, and molting, soft-shell crab,” Goen told the Cordova Times. “The council has not acted on these recommendations in the 10 years since that time while the stock has continued on a downward trend.”
Photo courtesy of Adele Heidenreich/Shutterstock
