The Alaska Department of Fish & Game on Wednesday released the 2009/10 total allowable catch limits for its Bering Sea snow and tanner crab fisheries and the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery.
The quota for the snow crab fishery, which opens 15 October and closes 15 May, is set at 48 million pounds, down 10.5 million pounds from last season. A five-year rebuilding plan will also be put in place to rebuild the stock by 2013.
The red king crab fishery quota is set at 16 million pounds, down from 20.4 million pounds last season. The fishery will open 15 October and close 15 January.
The Pribilof District red and blue king crab fisheries will remain closed. The western tanner crab fishery will also remain closed, and ADF&G has set the eastern tanner crab fishery's TAC at 1.53 million pounds. It will open 15 October and close 31 March.
October 1, 2009
