Posted on March 20, 2025
Everybody is talking about the Tanner crab these days! The Tanner crab fishery provides an important source of revenue to Alaskan fishermen and Alaska communities and helps to support small boat fishermen during a time when there are limited fishing opportunities.
Soon the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will discuss Tanner crab protections in response to ongoing advocacy from Tanner crab fishermen to mitigate impacts of federally managed groundfish fisheries.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The limited entry fishery is increasingly important to Alaska-based fishermen to maintain a robust fishing portfolio as fish prices struggle to keep up with increased operational costs.
Prior to the Council meeting we’ll help you to understand how best to support (and celebrate) this most valuable species.
The Gulf of Alaska Kodiak District Tanner Crab has a complex life history marked by significant reproductive cycles, growth through molts, and a dependence on specific environmental conditions. Due to their soft shells and podding behavior during mating and molting the crab are very vulnerable to the impacts of fishing gear. For this reason, the directed fishery is closed and the annual bottom trawl survey holds off until the mating season is over.
A peek at the Tanner crab’s historical highlights.
1997 - Kodiak District Tanner crab fishery re-started under a new management plan.
Since then, Tanner crab fishermen have championed conservation measures to mitigate fishing impacts on the crab. These include minimizing the impacts on crab stocks with low 20 crab pot limits and daylight-only fishing, which minimizes the crab's exposure to cold winter nights.
2004 - AMCC and Kodiak District Tanner crab fishermen began advocating for protection for Tanner crab from the impacts of bottom trawling in critical crab habitat.
2025 - Kodiak-based Tanner crab fishermen submitted proposals for increased juvenile crab escapement panels, rings to reduce the handling of small crabs, and maintaining a 20 pot limit regardless of the guideline harvest level.
The Council will meet from March 31 -April 7, 2025 for a virtual-only web conference to discuss protections for Kodiak District Tanner crab. If you are concerned about the bycatch of Tanner crabs in federal groundfish fisheries, we need you to write a comment letter and/or testify to protect the critical habitat of Tanner crabs. Learn more here!
So how can YOU support the Tanner crab industry (even if you’re not a Tanner crab fisherman)?
SPREAD THE WORD!
Our request remains the same: implement measures to protect Tanner crabs in their preferred habitat. We know where the crabs are and can mitigate the impacts of groundfish fisheries with proactive management tools such as area closures. It is time to add management structures to support them.
SUBMIT a comment by Mar 28 or encourage others to submit. (Scroll down to D2.)
PROVIDE testimony during the upcoming virtual Council Meeting or encourage others to provide testimon).
The Tanner crab discussion is scheduled before the advisory panel on April 2nd and 3rd and the Council on April 6th. Once the meeting begins, you can sign up to testify.
Bottom line? Support your Alaskan neighbors, friends, and fishermen by continuing to advocate for the Tanner crab.
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