Bering Sea Dungeness crab season starts in May, officials predict good harvests

The commercial season for Dungeness crab in the North Peninsula District opens May 1, and officials say this year’s harvest trajectory looks good. The individual pot limit for the area this year is 500 per vessel.

Ethan Nichols is the groundfish and shellfish area management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Dutch Harbor. He said with harvests increasing since 2020, participation in the fishery has followed.

“In 2022, 16 vessels harvested 2.8 million pounds of Dungeness out of the North Peninsula District, which that year made the North Peninsula the largest Dungeness harvest in the state of Alaska,” Nichols said.

Last year, harvest numbers fell from that all-time record, but the total catch was still large. Just 11 permit holders delivered a total of 1.6 million pounds in Dungeness crab. Nichols said pricing could have deterred some fishermen from participating. It averaged $1.80 to $2.00 per pound.

“The price was not very good last year,” Nichols said. “I think that drove a lot of vessels to not end up fishing the Dungeness fishery and maybe focus on salmon fisheries instead.”

He said he’s not sure what dock prices will look like this season, but hopes they’re higher than last year’s.

This year, 15 vessels registered before the April 1 deadline. The opening runs May 1 to Oct. 18. Nichols said there could be ample opportunity for harvesting this year. Last year, the Dungeness crab population did not appear to decrease as the season progressed.

The Dungeness crab fishery in the North Peninsula District stretches north of Cape Sarichef into the Bering Sea.

To purchase buoy tags or for further information, contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Dutch Harbor at (907) 581-1239.