Board of Fish approves state-backed changes for Southeast Alaska red king crab fishery

Red king crab commercial permit holders in Southeast Alaska will have a better chance of fishing in the coming seasons.

The Alaska Board of Fisheries approved a change in management regulations proposed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) that allows for a conservative commercial fishery when crab stocks aren’t enough for a typical competitive opening.

Red king crab is a low-volume, high-value fishery. The crab can bring in over $100 each. But commercial openings have been few and far between — just one in over a decade.

Several commercial crabbers testified to the Board of Fish a...