Alaska Shuts Down Its Snow Crab Harvest for the Second Year in a Row
The Bering Sea snow crab population has collapsed, likely due in part to past marine heat waves, researchers say.
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Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/BloombergAlaskan officials recently canceled the Bering Sea snow crab season for the second year in a row — and the second time ever — due to dwindling crab population levels.
When researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration surveyed the Bering Sea for crabs earlier this year, they recorded historically low numbers for both the big male snow crabs preferred by the fishing industry — defined as those with a carapace width of at least 102 millimeters — as well as mature female snow crabs. (Only male snow crabs with a carapace width of roughly 79 millimeters are allowed to be commercially caught in the region.) Commercial landings of Alaska snow crab, an iconic Alaskan export, totaled some 44 million pounds in 2021 and were valued at $219 million, according to NOAA data.