The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has set the Bering Sea snow crab harvest limit at 18.961,000 pounds, with 17,064,900 pounds for community development quota entities.
That’s down from a total allowable catch of 21,570,000 pounds in the 2016/2017 season.
The fishery opens on Oct. 15 and runs through May 15 for the eastern subdistrict and through May 31 for the western subdistrict.
ADF&G also set the TAC for the western district would be 2,500,200 pounds, with 2,250,180 pounds for holders of IFQ and 250,020 pounds for CDQs. The season opens Oct. 15 and runs through March 31. The eastern district of the Bering Sea is closed to tanner crab fishing for the season.
The TACs for the snow crab and tanner crab came on the heels of an ADF&G announcement that the TAC for Bristol Bay red king crab would be 6.6 million pounds, down 22 percent from the 2016/2017 TAC of 8.469 million pounds.
ADF&G has also closed for the season for conservation reasons the Pribilof District red and blue king crab fisheries, and Saint Matthew Island section of blue king crab fishery.
