Billions of Snow Crabs Have Disappeared Off the Coast of Alaska and It's Concerning
When spending most of my waking hours indoors at school and work, it became easier than ever to miss the little changes in nature that mark the passing of time. I watched leaves change colors and fall from the comfort of indoors, and I rarely heard the birdsong of spring between the sounds of virtual meetings and keyboard typing.
Other people, though, spend the majority of their lives in the great outdoors. They even rely on nature to make a living--whether through farming, forestry, or raising livestock--and the little changes in the environment can have a massive impact on their lives.
Just ask the thousands of people who rely on Alaska's fishing industry for survival! A recent decline in the snow crab population is already having disastrous effects on much of the Kodiak Archipelago, and people are becoming increasingly concerned for more reasons than one.
Wow--This is the second fishing season with restrictions on catching crab, and the population is still at a 90% decline since 2021. That's over ten billion crabs completely gone. The unfortunate irony is that in 2015, just a few years before this massive decline, NOAA reported seeing a record number of juvenile snow crabs in the Bering Sea.
Related: Fisherman’s Video of Unique Animals He Finds in His Crab Traps Has People Fascinated
So what happened? Scientists are guessing that this recent decline in snow crab population is due to the marine heat wave of 2018-2019. It led to a major loss of habitat and food for these crabs, as well as an increase in their metabolisms due to the high water temperature. Ideally, they would eat more to sustain themselves in warmer temperatures, but this wasn't possible with so much resource loss.
The Alaskan Fishing Industry Affects Millions of People
I had no idea that Alaska produces 60% of the United States' seafood, but it makes total sense. Alaska has over 6 thousand miles of coastline, more than all the other states combined, and the city of Ketchikan is considered the 'salmon capital of the world'. As @cbseveningnews explained, fishing is a family job for many living on the Kodiak Archipelago, and the loss of snow crab season has even put some out of a job entirely.
On a more global scale, this crab crisis can drive up prices of crab meat and other seafood, making it less accessible for consumers. Even more importantly, it's a very real and very troublesome consequence of the climate crisis. Even if you're not a fisherman or even a fan of seafood, there's no reason to ignore this massive loss.
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