Snow Crab Quota Down 19% Compared to Last Year

Crab fishing season in the Bering Sea is scheduled to get underway next week. In advance of the season the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has been rolling out the quotas for the various crab fisheries. The total allowable catch for the Bering Sea Snow Crab fishery is over 53.9-million pounds. That’s down 19-percent compared to last year’s TAC of 66.35-million pounds. The TAC is separated out into 2 components, IFQ’s and the Community Development Quota. Over 48.5-million pounds is set aside for IFQ fishermen while the CDQ quota is 5.3-million pounds. The Bering Sea snow crab fishery is scheduled to open at noon on Tuesday, October 15th. However, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game notes that there could be a delay in the fishery because the issuance of individual fishing and processing quotas may be delayed by the National Marine Fisheries Service due to the ongoing shutdown of the Federal Government. Fish and Game confirms that the community development quota permits are issued by Fish and Game and will not be delayed.