A National Marine Fisheries Service rule is set to effectively close the Upper Cook Inlet commercial drift fishery when the calendar turns to 2022, but two lawsuits have been filed to keep it open.
As crab fishermen face a dire season in Western Alaska this year, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is looking for quick analysis and the fleet is looking for more extensive closures to protect some crab stocks. Survey data has shown an approximately 90% drop in snow crab stocks since the last survey, pushing acceptable catch limits down, while the long-term decline