August 28, 2018 — An informal sport fishery has popped up in Kodiak. For crawdads.
They’re crustaceans that look like little lobsters, and they’re native to the Pacific Northwest, but not Alaska. In 2002, they were found scuttling along the bottom of a popular fishing area near Kodiak, in the Buskin River watershed, mainly in the lake.
Now, a local tribal organization is studying their movement, distribution, and diet.
They are concerned the crawdads could be snacking on salmon and disrupting their natural environment.
In a parking lot next to Buskin Lake, four guys pull on neoprene wetsuits and snorkeling masks. They’re gearing up for the hunt.
“Man, I’m ready to slay some frickin’ crawdad right now.”
That’s Ryan Gabor. He and some friends have put aside the day to snorkel for the mud-colored crustaceans.
They’re called a variety of names throughout the world including: crawfish, crawdads, and crayfish.