Fish News 10/3/12

Fish News
Oct. 3, 2012
Bristol Bay Red King Crab
Season Opens October 15th –
TAC Announced
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have completed analysis of NMFS trawl survey data for Bristol Bay red king crab. The 2012/2013 total allowable catch (TAC) is based on abundance and biomass estimates from the ADF&G length-based analysis model.
The Bristol Bay red king crab mature female abundance is over the threshold of 8.4 million crab and the effective spawning biomass (ESB) is over the threshold of 14.5 million pounds. The 2012 Bristol Bay red king crab ESB is estimated to be 44.2 million pounds.
The ESB estimate is less than 55.0 million pounds but greater than 34.75 million pounds, therefore a 12.5 percent exploitation rate is applied to the estimated mature male abundance of 9.6 million crab. The TAC for the 2012/2013 season is 7.853 million pounds and is apportioned as follows:
Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 7,067,700 pounds
Community Development Quota (CDQ) 785,300 pounds
Total 7,853,000 pounds
The 2012/2013 Bristol Bay red king crab fishery will open on October 15, 2012 at 12:00 noon and will remain open through January 15, 2013.
The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery will not open in waters enclosed by 167° W longitude to 168° W longitude and 57°30’ N latitude to 58°30’ N latitude (ADF&G statistical areas 675730 and 675800) to protect Pribilof blue king crab. Blue king crab were captured during the 2012 survey in this area.
Saint Matthew Island Section Blue King Crab
Season Opens October 15th –
TAC Announced
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have completed analysis of 2012 NMFS trawl survey results for the Saint Matthew Island Section. Area-swept estimates and model estimates indicate that the mature male biomass is above the threshold for a fishery opening.
The federal acceptable biological catch (ABC) for this stock is 2.028 million pounds of total male blue king crab mortality. To account for projected bycatch mortality and to avoid exceeding the ABC, the 2012/2013 Saint Matthew Island Section blue king crab total allowable catch (TAC) is 1.630 million pounds, apportioned as follows:
The 2012/2013 Saint Matthew Island Section blue king crab fishery will open at 12:00 noon on October 15, 2012 and will remain open through February 1, 2013.
Fishermen are reminded that all state waters surrounding Saint Matthew, Hall, and Pinnacle Islands are closed to commercial fishing.
Bering Sea Tanner, Pribilof Red & Blue King Crab Fisheries to Remain Closed Again This Season
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have completed analysis of NMFS trawl survey data for the eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab stock. The 2012 area-swept survey estimate of mature female Tanner crab biomass in the Bering Sea District is 19.7 million pounds, below the harvest strategy threshold for mature female biomass of 21.9 million pounds; therefore the Bering Sea District Tanner crab fishery will not open during the 2012/2013 season.
The Pribilof District red and blue king crab fisheries will also remain closed. Details here.
Fishermen are reminded that incidentally taken Tanner crab may not be retained during either the Bristol Bay red king crab or Bering Sea snow crab fisheries.
For further information contact ADF&G in Dutch Harbor at (907) 581-1239 or in Kodiak at (907) 486-1840.