Originally Posted By: Chip Goodhue
Not convinced of that Keta. We had a huge effort in A-10 last summer by recreationals, and there we still plenty of keepers left at the end of summer closure, and keepers were also thick, along with short males and females, during the short winter opener.

Something more widespread seems afoot that has caused a drop in populations over the winter. I heard the commercial opener in June was poor from the start in A-10 this year also.


I don't know what is going on in A 10. All I know is that in the many years of crabbing in A 8-1 I have never seen the massive and extended effort by the commercials, both treaty and non-treaty that started last summer season and lasted late into the spring of this year. There possibly could be some other issues effecting the crab numbers but I can't rationally blame the steep decline on some unknown when it's obvious that there was an increase in the commercial effort in area 8-1 in the very recent past.