After a sudden decline in the stock last year, federal managers have officially designated Bering Sea snow crab as overfished and are working on a plan to rebuild the stock.
In October, the National Marine Fisheries Service determined that with its current low numbers, the stock of Bering Sea snow crab — also known as opilio crab — is officially overfished. That means that there is not enough mature male biomass to reach what’s considered the minimum stock size to be a sustainable fishery. As of the most recent survey, mature male biomass was estimated at 50,600 metric tons, which is significantly below the minimum threshold of 76,700 metric tons.
However, the stock is “not subject to overfishing,” according to a report submitted to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council on the issue. That’s because the fishery removals aren’t above the level considered to be sustainable — rather, it’s because the stock dropped for other reasons that scientists and managers aren’t entire sure of yet.
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