Loss of Red King Crab fishery a tough blow to local fishers

Red King crab have not shown up in sufficient numbers and Norton Sound Seafood decided to forego buying Red King crab off regional fishermen and -women this summer. This comes on top of the economic disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic, a double-whammy for the marine industry in the Norton Sound region. No crab, no tourists.

“The crab is basically wiped out,” said retired fisheries biologist Charlie Lean. “I don’t anticipate seeing a crab season next year, to be honest.”

According to Tyler Rhodes, Chief Operating Officer at Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation, the crab fishery over the past five years has made an average contribution of around $2 million to the Norton Sound residential fleet. “But in those years we have seen fluctuations based on abundance and market conditions, with a payout as high as $2.7 million in 2016 and as low as $530,000 last year when catch rates plummeted,” Rhodes said.

Fishermen who catch crab usually also fish for cod and halibut, according to Rhodes. Those fisheries won’t make up for the loss of the opportunity to harvest crab. “They can put more time into fishing cod, that’s something that hasn’t been fully prosecuted up here in the past to the full extent that it could,” said Rhodes. “It’s a lower value species so it won’t make up for the loss of the crab opportunity.”

According to Jim Menard, Area Manager at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, nobody has registered to fish crab. There is one cod fisherman so far. The first period of salmon fishing was last week but nobody from Nome fished, according to Menard. However, the fish plant took in fish from tenders arriving from Golovin and Elim.

“Usually the first of July, July 4th is when the salmon show,” said Charlie Lean. “This year they’re a week early. It wasn’t that warm of a winter so I’m feeling good about the salmon run.” According to Lean the pinks are a little bit small and that means there should be a good run coming in.

The abundant rain over the past two weeks cooled the rivers and got the fish moving. “They’re rather be in the rivers than the ocean,” said Lean.

Red salmon are showing up just below the weir on the Pilgrim.