Unalaska, AK – Bristol Bay Red King Crab season is off to a good start. Two and a half weeks into the season and the fleet of 70 vessels has already caught 54 percent of the IFQ total allowable catch, or 7.8 million pounds of crab. About 6.6 million pounds remain to be caught. Alaska Department of Fish & Game area management biologist Forrest Bowers said that's less than this time last year, when the fleet of 77 boats had brought in 70 percent of the TAC.

"Catch rates have been relatively good in terms of the number of legal crab per pot. That's been running about 26. Which is pretty good, but we've been seeing smaller deliveries than last year and with a fewer boats fishing I think that's contributed to the fact that we're only at 54 percent of the TAC."

Bowers said shell quality is good and the crabs are averaging about 6.1 pounds each. Average price is about $4.40 per pound. Twenty vessels have already caught their quotas and checked out. The fishery should wrap up around Thanksgiving.

The newly-opened St. Matthew's blue king crab fishery is not going as well. With only five vessels participating, the landing data is confidential, but Bowers said the catch rates are not as high as they would like to see.

"I think that partially because of the limited number of boats that are fishing, I think they may be struggling to find the crab a little bit. Some times if you have a larger fleet out there, covering more area, having more gear on the grounds, it's easier to find the crab. I don't know that the fleet that's up there now has really landed on any heavy concentrations of crab at this point."

Bowers says the survey data indicates that the crabs are out there and they should be able to find them. Both fisheries opened on Oct. 15.