Federal fisheries managers have set the guideline harvest level for the upcoming Norton Sound commercial red king crab fishery at 25,152 pounds.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council last week finalized the legal male biomass or LMB, the total overfishing limit, or OFL, and the total allowable biological catch, or ABC, for the fishery, putting the LMB at 3.93 million pounds. The OFL was set at 628,000 pounds and the ABC at 380,000 pounds.
The guideline harvest level, or GHL, is set as a percentage of the LBM and must be kept below the ABC. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game then set the winter commercial red king crab fishery at Norton Sound at 8% of the total commercial GHL, which is 25,152 pounds.
As of mid-February, there were four permit holders and one buyer registered for the winter commercial crab fishery, with three of those permit holders also registered as catcher-sellers.
