KODIAK -- U.S. Coast Guard officials, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and fishermen from across the state are anxiously awaiting the first Bering Sea tanner crab fishery in seven years.
The Jan. 15 opening for the first tanner crab fishery since 1994 will include areas around Kodiak Island, the south Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Regulations pertinent to this season are "setting guidelines unique among shellfish fisheries," said Mike Ruccio, Fish and Game assistant area biologist for shellfish and groundfish.
For starters, the length of the fishery will be determined by a guideline harvest of 500,000 pounds, Ruccio said.
"When that quota is reached, then the season is over." Further restrictions, applicable to all areas involved in the fishery, limit the time of harvest from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The fishery will also be an open access. "Basically, anyone with $50 for a permit can fish (this)," Ruccio said.
As with the opening of any fishery, Coast Guard units in Alaska are already planning safety strategies. Though the upcoming crab season is a state controlled fishery, the Coast Guard will have one of its medium endurance cutters on routine Bering Sea patrol. Air Station Kodiak will provide one of its HH-65 helicopters to be on board the cutter as part of its Alaska patrol.
Members of the Marine Safety Detachment in Kodiak are now walking the docks and patrolling area harbors, BMC Lenny Roberson said.
"We are beginning to talk with the skippers, gathering information about stability concerns and making sure that the bigger boats have stability letters. One of the main points we look at will be the way the boats are loaded; making sure that they are within the scope of their loading capacity."
Alaska's crab fishing industry bears the unfortunate distinction of having the highest fatality rate of any occupation in the country. Gale-force winds, high seas, icing conditions and poor stability from overloaded boats all contribute to the high casualty rates of this industry.
Recent efforts by the Coast Guard, particularly with the Safety Afloat program, however, have seen some turnaround in the grim statistics. Fishermen are encouraged to take advantage of free, no-penalty safety inspections by Coast Guard and Coast Guard auxiliary personnel.
Vessels are checked for safety gear like fire extinguishers, survival suits, electronic personal indicating radio beacons and life rafts. All hands are encouraged to participate in abandon ship, firefighting and man overboard drills.
Winn Mete is a free-lance writer living in Kodiak. She can be reached at (winnmete@aol.com).
