NOAA Follows Fishery Council, Rejects Emergency Action to Bar Fishing in Crab Protection Area

January 24, 2023 Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has rejected a petition from crab fishers to bar all commercial fishing for six months in an area of the Bering Sea designated as a special protective zone for red king crab, which have suffered a population crash.

Dungeness Crab Harvest Delayed Off WA, OR Coast

January 10, 2023 Hal Bernton, Seattle Times

The prime Dungeness crab harvest grounds stretching from Klipsan Beach, Washington, to Cape Falcon, Oregon, will not open until Feb. 1 due to surveys that found legal-sized males still lacked enough recoverable meat in their shells.

In Cod (And Crab!) We Trust – Oregon’s Seafood Processing Industry

In 2021, Oregon had 34 employers and 1,084 employees turning slimy fish and armored crustaceans into succulent seafood ready for cooking and eating. This was fewer employees than in recent years, though the number of employers has been pretty steady.

CDFW Delays the Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery to Protect Whales From Entanglement

The commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line was scheduled to open on Nov. 15, 2022 in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6. However, the season opener has been delayed in those zones due to presence of high numbers of humpback whales (PDF)(opens in new tab) and the potential for entanglement.

Scientists Point to Climate Change as Likely Cause for Alaska Snow Crab Decline

Even as scientists are still trying to figure out why the Bering Sea snow crab stock crashed in 2021, federal managers are working on a plan to help rebuild it.