 Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery Reopens with Reduced Quota

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Alaska's Bering Sea snow crab fishery reopens after a two-year shutdown, but with catch limits slashed to just 10% of previous levels.

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An estimated 10 billion snow crabs vanished from Alaskan waters between 2018-2021 due to warming seas and ecosystem changes.

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Current season's catch limit sits at just 4.72 million pounds, down dramatically from the 45 million pounds allowed in 2020-2021.

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The fishery once pumped $150 million annually into Alaska's economy, with the 2020-2021 season alone generating $219 million.

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Marine heatwaves disrupted the cold-water habitat snow crabs need to survive, hitting fishing communities that rely on the harvest.

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With the North region's only major processor closed, regulators had to bend the rules just to get the limited fishery running again.

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A rarely used rule called Amendment 41 allowed crab deliveries to southern processors while still supporting northern communities.

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Twenty-seven stakeholders—from fishermen to community leaders—signed the December agreement making the limited fishery possible.

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Recent water temperature readings show conditions improving toward long-term averages, offering hope for the struggling crab population.

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Despite disaster relief funding in 2022-2023, Alaska's fishing communities continue to wait for snow crab numbers to rebuild.

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