The End of the Year Fisheries Wrap Up

 November 25, 2013

This is Fish Radio. I’m Stephanie Mangini. The end of the 2013 fishing season draws near. More fisheries updates after this…

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As the end of the year approaches fishermen tie up the loose ends of what’s left in the 2013 season.

Out in the Bering Sea…

The red king crabbers have hung up their gear, hauling in more than a couple hundred pounds over the 7.7 million pound limit.

“For Bristol Bay red king crab that fishery is wrapped up and there where 63 vessels that participated. We only have provisional numbers at this point, but the CPUE was 28 and the average weight was 6.94.”

Heather Fitch is a biologist for The Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Dutch Harbor. The month-long season numbers add up to a nearly 49 million dollar fishery,  with the advanced price on fish tickets at $6.35 per pound. The Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab season is on going and is not scheduled to close until  the end of March next year.

“As of Saturday about 55 percent of the TAC was harvested and that has a CPUE 37 and there are eight vessels fishing right now.” 

Fitch says that the Eastern Bering Sea Tanners is showing signs of being done by mid December. Crabbers also target golden kings along the Aleutians.

Down on the Pan Handle… 

Remaining areas for the Southeast golden king crab fishery will be closing tomorrow. At four o’clock today  sections 13 A and B end for pot shrimp, numbers show that the 15,000 pound harvest will be reached by the closure. Dive fishing for  sea cucumbers and geoduck clams in Southeast  is also dwindling.In the Gulf…  Pot cod is still in slow motion and is expected to fish the rest of the year. Only a few boats are going after the 8.2 million pounds, bringing in only 2.4 million pounds total so far.

In December lots of meetings are coming up: 

The International Halibut Commission  meets Dec 4-5 in Seattle to give a first peek at proposed catch limits for next year. The North Pacific Council meets Dec 9-7 in Anchorage. And the Board of Fisheries meets Dec -6 in Anchorage to take up Chignik fisheries. All fish meeting sessions will be webcast, find links to our website at  www.alaskafishradio.comFish Radio is also brought to you by Ocean Beauty Seafoods, celebrating 101 years of partnership with Alaska’s coastal communities. www.oceanbeauty.com  In Kodiak, I’m Stephanie Mangini.