Alaska officials have canceled the fall Bristol Bay red king crab harvest, and in a first-ever move, also scuttled the winter harvest of smaller snow crab.
The move is a double whammy to a fleet from Alaska, Washington and Oregon pursuing Bering Sea crab in harvests that as recently as 2016 grossed $280 million.
"I am struggling for words. This is so unbelievable that this is happening," said Jamie Goen, executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers. "We have third-generation fishermen who are going to go out of business."
