Alaska’s southeast Dungeness fishery healthy, despite domoic acid fears
(Original link: https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2016/09/07/data-shows-alaskas-southeast-dungeness-fishery-went-as-expected-despite-west-coast-domoic-acid/)
Recently-released data on southeast Alaska’s summer Dungeness crab fishery suggests that that market was not affected by the elevated domoic acid levels that devastated the US west coast Dungeness industry.
Scientists began to notice extremely high levels of domoic acid, linked to an algae bloom along the US west coast, in late spring, and in June west coast states began to close many of their shellfish fisheries — some of the largest shellfish closures ever. California’s Dungeness crab fishery was the last to open up, which crushed the state's fishermen.
On the other hand Alaska, which also produces Dungeness crab, managed to avoid severe damage to its Dungeness crap industry. According to Kelli Wood of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska’s zone A fishing industry — which is a major source of the crab — was expecting slightly higher prices because of the lower number of Dungeness crab on the market, but prices remained almost the same.
Preliminary data sent to Undercurrent News shows that the total value of the 2016/2017 summer Dungeness crab fishery in zone A, which opened June 15 and closed August 15, reached $5.8 million, with the average price being $3.03 per pound.
Last year’s summer season valued at $8m, placing average price at $2.99/lb.
“We expected prices to be a bit higher, but it didn’t affect the market up here,” Wood told Undercurrent.
The final summer harvest for the area was 1.93m lbs by 198 permit holders, which makes up the bulk of Alaska’s total catch. In 2015, according to Wood’s calculations, about 93% of the total commercial Dungeness crab catch for Alaska came from the southeast part of the state.
Last year the harvest reached 2.96m lbs, but Wood said the fall is part of a normal four-or five-year cycle rather than a result of destruction caused by domoic acid, and did not come as a surprise given the large harvest size in 2014.
The fishery is currently on the downward cycle, and Wood said she expects next year’s harvests to be slightly lower than the next peak year — 2018.
This year the largest harvests in the area came out of districts eight, which includes waters in the Wrangell and Petersburg areas; 15, which includes waters of the upper Lynn Canal, Berner’s Bay St. James Bay, and the Chilkat and Chilkoot Inlets; and six, which includes the areas of Duncan Canal, Level Isnald Wrangell Narrows and part of Sumner Strait.
The fishery opens up again on Oct. 1 for the fall fishery.
Recently-released data on southeast Alaska’s summer Dungeness crab fishery suggests that that market was not affected by the elevated domoic acid levels that devastated the US west coast Dungeness industry.
Scientists began to notice extremely high levels of domoic acid, linked to an algae bloom along the US west coast, in late spring, and in June west coast states began to close many of their shellfish fisheries — some of the largest shellfish closures ever. California’s Dungeness crab fishery was the last to open up, which crushed the state's fishermen.
On the other hand Alaska, which also produces Dungeness crab, managed to avoid severe damage to its Dungeness crap industry. According to Kelli Wood of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska’s zone A fishing industry — which is a major source of the crab — was expecting slightly higher prices because of the lower number of Dungeness crab on the market, but prices remained almost the same.
Preliminary data sent to Undercurrent News shows that the total value of the 2016/2017 summer Dungeness crab fishery in zone A, which opened June 15 and closed August 15, reached $5.8 million, with the average price being $3.03 per pound.
Last year’s summer season valued at $8m, placing average price at $2.99/lb.
“We expected prices to be a bit higher, but it didn’t affect the market up here,” Wood told Undercurrent.
The final summer harvest for the area was 1.93m lbs by 198 permit holders, which makes up the bulk of Alaska’s total catch. In 2015, according to Wood’s calculations, about 93% of the total commercial Dungeness crab catch for Alaska came from the southeast part of the state.
Last year the harvest reached 2.96m lbs, but Wood said the fall is part of a normal four-or five-year cycle rather than a result of destruction caused by domoic acid, and did not come as a surprise given the large harvest size in 2014.
The fishery is currently on the downward cycle, and Wood said she expects next year’s harvests to be slightly lower than the next peak year — 2018.
This year the largest harvests in the area came out of districts eight, which includes waters in the Wrangell and Petersburg areas; 15, which includes waters of the upper Lynn Canal, Berner’s Bay St. James Bay, and the Chilkat and Chilkoot Inlets; and six, which includes the areas of Duncan Canal, Level Isnald Wrangell Narrows and part of Sumner Strait.
The fishery opens up again on Oct. 1 for the fall fishery.
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