More territory for snow crabbers

Ice has covered much of the Bering Sea crabbing grounds, bedeviling the snow crab fleet.

Now the state Department of Fish and Game is providing some relief by opening an additional area to fishing, starting tomorrow.

Here's the official announcement.

Thus far, individual fishing quota holders have taken 46.9 million pounds of snow crab, or about 59 percent of the total allowable catch.

The season is scheduled to close at the end of May.

Bering Sea snow crab quota surges by 64 percent

Yesterday brought bad news on Bristol Bay red king crab, historically the state's most valuable crab crop.

Today comes good news on another major fishery, Bering Sea snow crab.

The total allowable catch for the upcoming season is 88.9 million pounds, up 64 percent from last season's 54.3 million pounds.

The season opens at noon Oct. 15, but typically the fleet waits until after the first of the year to take most of the crab.

Here's a press release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Bering Sea crab quotas announced

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced catch limits for the Bering Sea crab fisheries opening Oct. 15:

Bristol Bay red king crab: 14.8 million pounds, down 7.5 percent from last season.

Bering Sea snow crab: 54.3 million pounds, up 13 percent from last season.

Bering Sea bairdi Tanner crab: Fishery closed due to low mature female biomass. Last season's quota was 1.35 million pounds.



St. Matthew Island blue king crab: 1.6 million pounds, up 37 percent from last season.