Alaskan Red and Blue King Crab fisheries won't open in Southeast

Crab harvests in southeast Alaska this year won’t feature the state’s historic cash crops of Red King Crabs, as historically low population levels persist in the region, according to Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game, which announced the pre-emptive closure of the 2014/2015 fishing season on Oct. 3.

The Southeast Alaska Red King Crab Management Plan directs the department to manage the Southeast Alaska red king crab fishery in accordance with the Alaska Board of Fisheries’ “Policy on King and Tanner Crab Resource Management” if the department’s estimate of available harvest is below the min...