The snow crab crisis in Alaska first began in early 2022, after biologists discovered an estimated 10 billion crabs disappeared — a 90% plunge in the population.
Now I don’t know the exact Alaskan snow crab regulations off the top of my head but if they’re anything like lobster regulations tend to be you’ve got it backwards. At least with lobsters they require the be at least a certain size. This ensures that they can reach a reproductive age.
Fish and Game agencies don’t just recalibrate acceptable size limits to let people harvest more. The regulations have to be scientifically justifiable if they don’t want to lose their federal PR act funds.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t setting a minimum size exactly what leads to reduction in average size? I know that the angling regulations I’m familiar with put very strict limits on maximum size in order to keep the big ones breeding. Presumably, their size is a proxy for overall fitness.
Now I don’t know the exact Alaskan snow crab regulations off the top of my head but if they’re anything like lobster regulations tend to be you’ve got it backwards. At least with lobsters they require the be at least a certain size. This ensures that they can reach a reproductive age.
Fish and Game agencies don’t just recalibrate acceptable size limits to let people harvest more. The regulations have to be scientifically justifiable if they don’t want to lose their federal PR act funds.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t setting a minimum size exactly what leads to reduction in average size? I know that the angling regulations I’m familiar with put very strict limits on maximum size in order to keep the big ones breeding. Presumably, their size is a proxy for overall fitness.