By Hudson Avery

Photo credit: user Totti via Wikimedia Commons.

Over 1 billion snow crabs have gone missing, and Alaska has canceled their snow crab harvest season for the first time ever. Snow crabs, often called “queen crabs,” have experienced a major decrease in population recently. The significant decrease in the species population has caused The Alaska Department of Fish and Game to officially cancel the snow crab season in the Bering Sea. They have done this not only in hopes of increasing the population, but to shed some light on the often overlooked topic of global warming and how it is affecting the US fishing industry. It also gives us a glimpse of how the major decline of individual species will have worldwide effects. 

The economy in Alaska partially depends on the snow crab season, so they are likely to face major economic problems. Alaska’s crab fishing industry is worth more than 200 million dollars a year, and the disappearance of the snow crabs will not only affect the local economy, but will also likely negatively impact the US and global economies.

Multiple factors have contributed to the disappearance of snow crabs in Alaska. “As you might think, this was not a sudden decline,” says Erin Fedewa, a fisheries research biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Concerns about the snow crab population started back in 2018. That year, there was an unusually high snow crab population, reaching a record high of 8 billion, and it was even estimated that there were 11.7 billion snow crabs at some spots in the southeast Bering Sea. That year was also one of the warmest years and lowest sea ice extent on record in the Bering Sea. 2019 was another record-breaking temperature year. NOAA’s annual trawl survey in the Bering Sea showed a noticeable decline in the number of young crabs. Many researchers think that the warmer seas create challenges for younger crabs, because they mature in cold water pools on the ocean floor, so the warmer waters likely minimized the available habitat for the crabs.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons user さかおり.

Global climate change is a significant problem for these snow crabs. NBCLX reporter Chase Cain states that, “Alaska is the state in the US that is warming faster than any other, and on top of that, the oceans warm faster than the land, causing 90% of all global warming to be in the ocean.” This heat in the ocean has caused the cold-loving crabs to migrate elsewhere. The US this year had the warmest September ever recorded in North America, and along with this warm weather, there have been at least 15 climate-related natural disasters so far. Because of this, the snow crab population has dropped 87% since 2018’s 8 billion.

A Time article by Aryn Baker states, “Some of the crabs may have headed north into cooler Russian waters.” This is so the baby crabs can get the cool water needed for them to grow. Snow crabs are just now facing climate change, unlike many species before them. The fishing industry has had numerous years of low counts in fish due to warmer temperatures. But from those studies, high temperatures don’t usually lead to a steady decline; it is often more unexpected and sudden. It will most likely be years before the Alaskan snow crab population rebounds to past historical levels.

Snow crabs became very popular last year, causing prices to rise. Robert Amar, the owner of Philadelphia’s Small World Seafood, said, “They doubled in price. Supermarkets drove that rise in price because people were going to the supermarkets, not restaurants, during the pandemic. Supermarkets realized people were willing to pay more than they would in the past.” But this year has been different. The prices have dropped back down, and which means that there is less demand for crabs to be supplied in grocery stores. 

An Alaskan crabbing vessel. Photo credit: Michael Theberge via Wikimedia Commons.

Alaskan fishermen are facing their worst fears. They are at risk of a catastrophic loss, since Alaska has canceled their harvest season. Bri Dwyer, a commercial fishing industry photographer from NBC-K5, says, “My husband is a 5th generation fisherman. His mom grew up in Ketchikan; that type of lifestyle takes a certain type of person and a certain type of drive that’s inspiring.” People don’t usually understand that being a fisherman is not a typical 9-5 job; fishermen’s jobs are closely tied to the environment, and they depend on ocean species to make a living. Many businesses in the fishing industry are small and family-owned, which puts their business at risk. Many fishermen are asking for emergency relief, which is normally given to farmers who have harvest problems. The fishermen are not all alone in their worries; crab consumers are concerned that once we get to the holiday season, there won’t be enough crab to supply everyone.