Alaskan snow crab legs are a world-renowned delicacy from the icy waters of the Bering Strait. A few clicks and scrolls on the Internet will be enough to show you how much this creature is valued for its culinary value, but it looks like scientists and other authorities will be putting a halt to snow crab fishing as a new study suggests declining populations.
Based on a CBS News report, officials are now investigating the disappearance of nearly one billion snow crabs. According to the report, the event could be a major setback for the US seafood industry, which is heavily reliant on the crustacean.
Alaskan Authorities Cancel Snow Crab Fishing Season
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game canceled the winter snow crab season for the first time due to the sudden decline of the snow crab population. The measure is taken to assist the species in recovering from these mass disappearances. This means that no Bering Sea crab fishermen from the Alaskan coast will be able to set sail for the season.
As previously stated, the seafood industry will undoubtedly suffer due to this bizarre occurrence. Some restaurants are expected to cancel their menus as the holiday season approaches. Despite the harsh constraints, scientists believe that this move is necessary to save the Arctic ecosystem.
Authorities Looking at Declining Crab Population
According to The Guardian, the causes of the population collapse are being investigated, but they are likely to include increased predation and stress from warmer water, which the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believes may have caused the crabs to migrate away from coasts.
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Jamie Goen, executive director of Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, believes that second and third-generation crab-fishing families will cease to be in business as a result of the government's failure to provide effective protections to help crab stocks recover.
"For Alaska's iconic crab fisheries, these are truly unprecedented and troubling times," the director added.
Despite crabbers' pleadings for at least limited grabs to be permitted, senior officials and Alaskan state biologists debated the harvest ban for days before making their decision, according to news source Wion.
Climate Change
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) cautioned in a report released on Thursday, October 13 that the world's wildlife populations decreased by an average of 69% between 1970 and 2018, a dangerous decline brought on by climate change and other human activity.
The WWF news release identifies numerous key drivers of biodiversity decline, including habitat loss, overexploitation of species, invasive species, pollution, climate change, and diseases. It also urges policymakers to transform economies in order to properly value natural resources.
As previously stated by experts, some of these factors are contributing to the decline of the snow crab population. Alaska is the fastest-warming state in the country, melting down billions of tons of ice each year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Bodies of ice are critical for crabs that need cold water to survive.
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