October 3, 2024 — Alaska’s red king crab industry has been used to riding the highest highs and lowest lows. After years of closures, Bristol Bay’s fishermen were cautiously optimistic about the 2023-2024 season. While the reopening after the two-year closure brought relief, the overall picture for the stock remains complicated.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) recently revised the 2024-2025 season with an acceptable biological catch of over 4,000 metric tons, and the season is set to open mid-October. That comes after data showed a slight increase in mature male biomass. The stock has seen some signs of life, but the long-term health of red king crab is still in question. ADF&G’s preliminary model points to a better-than-expected female abundance, higher than thresholds seen in previous years, though still far from historical highs.
The closure of the fishery in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 was a necessary pause after mature female biomass plummeted to concerning lows. However, some scientists insist that the recovery isn’t happening fast enough. They have noted that recruitment, a key to the stock’s future, has remained frustratingly low over the last decade.