Fewer fishermen, lost processing revenue, Alaska's crab fisheries are in ruins; Is there any hope for a turnaround?

Bristol Bay's red king crab fishery in Alaska could potentially see a much needed opening this year, but the outlook for the future of Alaska's troubled snow crab fishery is not likely to please suppliers or buyers of the valuable shellfish.

Summer NOAA trawl survey results of Eastern Bering Sea crab stocks presented at a North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) crab plan team meeting Tuesday show that while abundance in mature female Bristol Bay Red King crab has increased by 46 percent compared to last year, mature female abundance for snow crab has plummeted 29 percent compared to 2022.