Fishermen have unloaded nearly 3 million pounds of Alaska snow crab at the Port of Dutch Harbor in the Bering Sea, a strong indication the species is recovering from a catastrophic collapse caused by a marine heat wave in 2018 and 2019, fishermen and fisheries officials say.
“Yes, snow crab are looking really healthy and recovering faster than scientists predicted,” Jamie Goen, executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Association, said in an email Friday.
But challenges remain, she said, including the closure of a major processing plant on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea, about 230 miles north of the city of Unalaska where dockside prices are $3 per pound.
“We are down to two operating processors for crab, both located in Dutch Harbor,” Goen said. “Some vessels are having a hard time getting on the processor’s schedule.”
