Crabbers in Southeast Alaska could soon be able to harvest red king crabs after the Alaska Board of Fisheries approved a proposal enabling regulators to open a small, limited commercial king crab fishery.

Previous regulations banned officials from opening a commercial king crab fishery in Southeast Alaska unless the estimated biomass of legal male red king crab exceeds 200,000 pounds. The requirement has made it nearly impossible for regulators to open a season in the region; Southeast Alaska has only authorized three commercial red king crab seasons over the last 20 years.

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and commercial fishers argue that the requirement was based on an outdated claim that it wasn’t financially viable for crab processors to open for anything less than a harvest based on that 200,000-pound threshold.

“The current management plan that hinges on the 200,000-pound threshold is not based on a biological need but was established by the markets in past actions, saying that that's what they needed in order to open up the plants,” Petersburg Vessel Owner's Association Executive Director Nels Evens told the board of fisheries during its Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish meeting, which took place in Ketchikan, Alaska, from 28 January to 9 February.

Read the full article written by Nathan Strout, Seafood Source. This article is republished with permission.