Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation

  • Flickr
  • WebMail
  • 907-274-2248
  • Buy Seafood
  • Employment
  • Applications
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Community Benefits
      • Community Benefit Share
      • Outside Entity Funding
      • Consolidated Bulk Fuel
      • Small Business Initiative
      • Community Energy Fund
      • Substance Abuse Prevention
      • Water and Sewer Fund
      • Large Infrastructure Fund
    • Education, Employment & Training Program
      • Education Programs
      • Employment Programs
      • Training Programs
    • Loan Programs
    • Applications
  • Fisheries
    • Norton Sound Seafood Products
    • Fisheries Research & Development
      • Salmon Enumeration
      • Salmon Incubation
      • Salmon Lake Sockeye
      • Salmon Acoustic Tagging
      • Norton Sound King Crab
      • Herring Monitoring
      • Clean Waters
      • Cod and Halibut Satellite Tagging
    • CDQ Management
    • Commercial Fishery Regulations
    • Vessels
  • Publications
    • Newsletters
    • Quarterly Reports
    • Annual Reports
  • News
  • About
    • Employment
    • Member Communities
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff/Offices
    • Community Outreach Liaisons
  • Contact

NSEDC Will Not Purchase Crab in 2022 Winter Fishery

January 14, 2022 By NSEDC

Signals point to a recovery, but concerns persist about crab size and handling mortality

In the interest of preserving the Norton Sound red king crab stock, NSEDC has made the difficult decision to not purchase crab from the 2022 winter commercial fishery.  The results from the 2021 Norton Sound Alaska Department of Fish and Game trawl survey show an increasing number of crab growing to legal size (measuring 4 3/4” or greater across the carapace) for commercial harvest, which is encouraging.  However, the data still appear to show very few crab that will be of market size (at least 5” across the carapace), which is the minimum size NSEDC will purchase.

The viability of the present and future crab stock depends upon the current mature crab having the opportunity to breed.  NSEDC believes a commercial winter fishery will negatively impact the stock’s health while supplying few marketable crab.

In conjunction with the decision to not purchase crab from the winter fishery, NSEDC and Norton Sound Seafood Products (NSSP) will not be selling commercial crabbing gear or commercial quantities of bait.

NSEDC will be making a determination on how to approach the 2022 summer fishery in the coming weeks and will inform fishers of our plans well in advance of the season.  We are cautiously optimistic that a level of commercial harvest could be achieved while preserving crab for the coming years, both for reproduction and future harvest.  In essence, we believe any commercial harvest of this current cohort should be conservatively managed and spread out to achieve longer-term benefits for both the crab stock and all users who depend upon it.

Filed Under: Featured, News

Representing 15 member communities and more than 8,700 people in the Bering Strait region of Northwestern Alaska.

Community Map

About Us

News

Residents Encouraged to Comment on Federal Disaster Funding

NSEDC Board votes to distribute over $500,000 in 2022 Outside Entity Funding

NSEDC Solicits Proposals for Lease of Crab Pots

NSEDC to Resume Purchasing Red King Crab this Summer

All News

  • Flickr
  • WebMail
  • 907-274-2248
  • Buy Seafood
  • Employment
  • Applications

Vessels

NSEDC

Community Benefits

Fisheries Research & Development

Education, Employment & Training

Norton Sound Seafood Products

Employment

Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation

Copyright © 2022 Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation · All rights reserved. Website by Sundog Media, LLC · Log in