Jake Jacobsen doesn’t care how the United States government shutdown gets resolved or even if it does, but if the federal employees responsible for determining permits to Alaska king crabbers aren’t back to work by Friday it could costs the industry millions.
Jacobsen, executive director of the Inter-Cooperative Exchange, a crab cooperative that harvested 72 percent of last year’s Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of Alaska king crab, told IntraFish 80 registered vessels are geared-up and ready to start the season next week, but none will able to without a federal crab vessel permit issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Each
