In a major blow to America’s seafood industry, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has, for the first time in state history, canceled the winter snow crab season in the Bering Sea due to their falling numbers.
An estimated one billion crabs have mysteriously disappeared in two years, state officials said. It marks a 90% drop in their population.
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.
The survey also found that the number of juvenile male and female snow crabs has skyrocketed since last year, jumping by 138 percent and 3,902 percent respectively, which could mean that in time the species could recover.
I am an outdoors person and have always attempted to leave an area I’ve visited, better than how I found it. There are other animals in the ocean that will also be affected and this ripple is just getting started. If it isn’t fixed, it will mean a lot more than just not being able to order snow crab IMO.
Yes
but king crabs (deadliest catch)
are not snow crabs (a billion missing and season canceled)
There is a very significant size difference.
Still if snow crab season is canceled, snow crab buyers cannot buy snow crabs. The demand for king crabs will likely SKYROCKET.
If they never come back, there are other fishing industries the fishermen can make use of. I don’t see any cause for agriculture relief at this time, if ever.
“Did they run up north to get that colder water?” asked Gabriel Prout, whose Kodiak Island fishing business relies heavily on the snow crab population. “Did they completely cross the border?”
How long it take for stories that blame global warming and/or Vladimir Putin for the disappearing crabs?
