By James Young
The History of Alaskan King Crab Fishing
In keeping with the boom and bust pattern of Alaskan wealth, what was once the second most lucrative commercial fishery in that state has now fallen on hard times and as yet shows no signs of real recovery. Since 1959 when state management began, the industry has seen a series of peaks and collapses. The glory days when a multi-million dollar boat could pay back a profit in one season and a crewman brought home $100,000 for a few months of dangerous work may be gone forever.
First Rush
Commercial king crab fishing officially began in Adak, a western island in the Aleutians, in 1960. The following year the king crab fishery in Dutch Harbor opened at the port of Unalaska in the eastern part of the island chain. Five years later Dutch Harbor experienced a record 33 million pound harvest. Concerns for the future spurred the first fisheries management plan in 1977, resulting in a total ban on foreign crab fishing in the Eastern Bering Sea. The American industry expanded into new areas. Norton Sound at the mouth of the Yukon River opened in 1977, and Bristol Bay on the Kenai Peninsula flourished from 1977 through 1981. Bristol Bay production peaked in 1981 at nearly 130 million pounds.
First Crash
Disasters quickly followed the boom years. By 1983 the catch was only one sixtieth the yearly average. A new fisheries management plan in 1989 failed to reverse the trend, and region by region fisheries faced closure. Bristol Bay closed from 1994 to 1995, as did Adak from 1996 to 1997. The Pribolof Islands fishery closed in 1999. New restrictions shortened seasons and restricted catches, including a reduced harvest of only 10 percent of male crabs in Bristol Bay. But this only partially stabilized crab populations.
Diverse Problems
Though overfishing was a major cause of the decline, other factors prevented a recovery. Warming temperatures brought new predators to the Aleutian waters. Predation of juvenile crabs by salmon, cod and even sea otters has been suspected as a cause for the industry's continued troubles. Since 2000 many fisheries have remained closed, with yearly commercial permits numbering as low as 33, well under the peak of nearly 250 commercial boats.
Russian Competition
Recognizing the economic potential in 1958, the U.S.S.R. began transplanting king crab populations from Kamchatka Island to the Berents Sea between Siberia and Greenland. King crab flourished in the fjords and the Russian harvest has become the staple of the industry, often marketed as Alaskan in origin.
Sport Fishing
The twenty-pound king crabs may be gone, but sport fishing for Alaskan king crab is still allowed in some areas. Limited licenses are available for the Copper River Basin, Prince William Sound, and for the south side of the Kenai Peninsula at Kachamak Bay. Homer and Halibut Cove are popular departure points.
Resources
About the Author:
James Young began writing in 1969 as a military journalist combat correspondent in Vietnam. Young's articles have been published in "Tai Chi Magazine," "Seattle Post-Intelligencer," Sonar 4 ezine, "Stars & Stripes" and "Fine Woodworking." He has worked as a foundryman, woodturner, electronics technician, herb farmer and woodcarver. Young graduated from North Seattle Community College with an associate degree in applied science and electronic technology.
Photo Credits:
Photo by Commander John Bortniak, NOAA Corps, at http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/corp1894.htm
