Climate change certainly has something to do with the decline, but maybe they shouldn't have been harvesting the crabs with "limits" measured in MILLIONS OF POUNDS when the population was on the decline.

[www.washingtonpost.com]

Alaska cancels snow crab season for first time after population collapses

...For about a decade, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has documented a continued decline in the estimated population of mature male snow crabs — the only kind allowed to be harvested — in the Bering Sea. But hopes were raised after a record number of juvenile crabs were spotted on the ocean bottom in 2018 and 2019, suggesting a possible boom for future crab seasons.

But for reasons that are still not entirely clear, the population appears to have crashed. The federal government now designates snow crabs as overfished. The stock of some red king crabs, the largest of the commercially harvested crabs in size, is considered “below the target level” by the NOAA in some waters. Last year, Alaska closed king crab season for the first time since the 1990s.

[www.usatoday.com]

Last year’s snow crab harvest was 5.6 million pounds, the smallest in over 40 years.

Snow crab populations dropped after a 2019 Bering Sea warming, and the causes of the population crash are likely stresses from the warmer water and increased threats from predators.

“Management of Bering Sea snow crab must now focus on conservation and rebuilding given the condition of the stock,” the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in a Monday statement.

[www.wltx.com]

Prout said that there needs to be a relief program for fisherman, similar to programs for farmers who experience crop failure, or communities affected by hurricanes or flooding.

When asked what fishermen can do in this situation, with their livelihoods dependent on the ocean, Prout responded, "Hope and pray. I guess that's the best way to say it."

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Tiangou

When asked what fishermen can do in this situation, with their livelihoods dependent on the ocean, Prout responded, "Hope and pray. I guess that's the best way to say it."[/i]

If only someone had told us this might happen.

Next up on Discovery, Most Dangerous Tours. Skipper and his first mate Gilligan take small parties of adventure seeking tourists on three hour tours of the Bering Sea…

Did anyone happen to catch the Documentary about Patagonia on CNN where the Chileans and the filmmakers sneak up on that scary and disturbing pod of Squid Harvesting boats???

Those scenes have been haunting almost every day me since I saw that segment..

This planet is in some deep @#$%&.

We've become too good at what we do and our hubris has grown right along with our skillset..

I would guess some country cough*Russia*cough snuck into the crabbing grounds and took a huge amount of illegally small crab.

2021 Global Snow Crab Update for the North American Markets
http: //www.tradexfoods.com/3mmi/2021/04-12-global-snow-crab-update
"In 2020, the Russian fishery harvested 99 percent of the total allowable catch, and we should anticipate similar success for the 2021 season."

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

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cbelt3
Next up on Discovery, Most Dangerous Tours. Skipper and his first mate Gilligan take small parties of adventure seeking tourists on three hour tours of the Bering Sea…

giggle, giggle, giggle.

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!#$@@$#!

never do yesterday or today what you can put off til tomorrow or next year.