Unalaska, AK – The local tanner crab fishery is closing early this year in Unalaska Bay. The eight boats were catching too few crabs per pot and the weights of ones they did catch were getting progressively smaller. Assistant area shellfish biologist Jeanette Alas said they closed the fishery in order to protect it for the long term.

"This season we saw a pretty consistent drop in the average weight of the crab, and that particularly indicates that the crab they're catching are recruit crab. We don't want them to keep fishing on crab that we rely on to keep the stocks going for next year."

The smaller crabs are part of the breeding population. Alas said closing the fishery early is not unusual nor does it indicate anything negative about the overall health of the fishery. Guideline harvest levels are set based on summertime surveys whereas fishing takes place in winter, so they may not always match up. Alas said the survey is done in the summertime after mating and molting has occurred whereas the fishery is in the wintertime to avoid interfering with the mating cycle.

The eight boats that fished the area brought back roughly 50,000 pounds, or two thirds of the 74,000 pound guideline harvest level. They have 24 hours after the official closure at 5:59 pm Wednesday to deliver their catch. They can then transfer to the Akutan Bay fishery, which will remain open with about two thirds of the 45,000 pound guideline harvest level still available.