https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fishing-alaska-snow-crab-season-canceled-investigation-climate-change/#app

  * CBS News App
  * Ukraine Crisis
  * COVID Pandemic
  * CBS News Live
  * Managing Your Money
  * Essentials Shopping
  * Newsletters

  
 

  * News
      + 
          o US
          o World
          o Politics
          o Entertainment
          o Health
          o MoneyWatch
          o CBS Village
          o Technology
          o Science
          o Crime
          o Sports
          o Essentials
      + 
          o 
              # What's next after the Jan. 6 committee's vote to
                subpoena Trump
              # DOJ calls for reversal of "entirety" of special
                master ruling in Trump case
              # Trump writes to Jan. 6 committee after its vote to
                subpoena him
              # Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in "Harry Potter,"
                dies at 72
              # Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock in national
                spotlight for highly anticipated debate
              # "Pretty troublesome": New COVID variant BQ.1 growing
                rapidly
              # Raleigh shooting suspect identified as younger
                brother of slain victim
              # Digital license plates are now legal in California
              # United Airlines flight forced to return to Chicago
                airport after hitting bird
  * 
  * Shows
  * Live
  * Local
  * More
      + 
          o Latest
          o Video
          o Photos
          o Podcasts
          o In Depth
          o Local
          o Global Thought Leaders
          o Innovators & Disruptors
      + 
          o Log In
          o Newsletters
          o Mobile
          o RSS
          o CBS Store
          o Paramount+
          o Davos 2022
  * Search
  * Search
  * Live TV

 
  

Watch CBS News

CBS Evening News

Alaska snow crab season canceled as officials investigate
disappearance of an estimated 1 billion crabs

evening-news

By Jonathan Vigliotti

Updated on: October 13, 2022 / 11:14 PM / CBS News

  *  
  *  
  *  

Alaska snow crab harvest canceled for first time
Alaska snow crab harvest canceled for first time ever 02:34

In a major blow to America's seafood industry, the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game has, for the first time in state history, canceled
the winter snow crab season in the Bering Sea due to their falling
numbers. While restaurant menus will suffer, scientists worry what
the sudden population plunge means for the health of the Arctic
ecosystem.

An estimated one billion crabs have mysteriously disappeared in two
years, state officials said. It marks a 90% drop in their population.

Snow Crab Season Begins In Japan Freshly caught snow crabs sit in
containers on a fishing boat at Mikuni Fishing Port in Mikuni, Fukui
Prefecture, Japan, on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Buddhika Weerasinghe/
Bloomberg via Getty Images

"Did they run up north to get that colder water?" asked Gabriel
Prout, whose Kodiak Island fishing business relies heavily on the
snow crab population. "Did they completely cross the border? Did they
walk off the continental shelf on the edge there, over the Bering
Sea?" 

Ben Daly, a researcher with ADF&G, is investigating where the crabs
have gone. He monitors the health of the state's fisheries, which
produce 60% of the nation's seafood.

"Disease is one possibility," Daly told CBS News.

He also points to climate change. According to the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, Alaska is the fastest warming state
in the country, and is losing billions of tons of ice each year --
critical for crabs that need cold water to survive. 

"Environmental conditions are changing rapidly," Daly said. "We've
seen warm conditions in the Bering Sea the last couple of years, and
we're seeing a response in a cold adapted species, so it's pretty
obvious this is connected. It is a canary in a coal mine for other
species that need cold water."

Prout said that there needs to be a relief program for fisherman,
similar to programs for farmers who experience crop failure, or
communities affected by hurricanes or flooding.

When asked what fishermen can do in this situation, with their
livelihoods dependent on the ocean, Prout responded, "Hope and pray.
I guess that's the best way to say it."

Trending News

Snow Crab Season Begins In Japan
Alaska snow crab season canceled after an estimated 1 billion crabs
disappear
garrett-1291434-640x360.jpg
Trump warns of "big problems" if he's indicted
cbsn-fusion-new-welfare-scandal-docs-reveal-role-of-brett-favres-venture-thumbnail-1367991-640x360.jpg
Welfare scandal docs reveal role of Favre's venture
cbsn-fusion-alaska-snow-crab-harvest-canceled-for-first-time-ever-thumbnail-1374884-640x360.jpg
Alaska snow crab harvest canceled for first time

    In:
  * Economy
  * fishing boat
  * Alaska

Jonathan Vigliotti
Jonathan Vigliotti

Jonathan Vigliotti is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles.
He previously served as a foreign correspondent for the network's
London bureau.

Twitter

First published on October 13, 2022 / 8:39 PM

(c) 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in
for more features.
[                    ]  Continue
Please enter email address to continue
Please enter valid email address to continue
Copyright (c)2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.

  * Privacy Policy
  * Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  * Cookies Policy
  * Terms of Use
  * About
  * Advertise
  * Closed Captioning
  * CBS News Live on Paramount+
  * CBS News Store
  * Site Map
  * Contact Us
  * Help

  *  
  *  
  *  
  *  

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and
exclusive reporting.
Not Now Turn On