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Southeast Alaska Tanner crab down, golden king crab up as next fishery approaches

Southeast Alaska’s next commercial golden king crab and Tanner crab fisheries will open on Feb. 17. The Tanner crab population is on a slight decline, whereas golden king crab is on track for an increased harvest. Recent Tanner crab stock surveys show less mature biomass compared to years prior. But according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the fishery can still expect a normal season, consistent with the past couple of decades. “The harvest has been steady for the last 25 years, pretty much, besides a couple years in 2007, 2008 where it kind of dipped down a little bit. But it hangs right around a million pounds every year, pretty consistently,” said Adam Messmer, Regional Shellfish Biologist for Fish and Game. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:44