The 2008 Alaska salmon season is wrapping up, ranking as the 17th highest season since Alaska became a state in 1959. Final numbers are still coming in, but the total catch is estimated to be 139 million salmon (about 7 million more fish than was originally projected). While the numbers of king and sockeye salmon were below forecasts, there were strong catches of coho and pink salmon. In fact, the 80 million catch of pinks was well above projections, with half of all pinks caught in the Prince William Sound this year.

Coinciding with the close of the salmon season, crab fishermen in Alaska began harvesting Alaska king crab on October 15th. According to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), this year���s total allowable catch is set at 20.364 million pounds, down slightly from last year���s 20.38 million pounds. "ADF&G manages the various Alaska king crab stocks using a conservative harvest strategy that is designed to promote stability and sustainability in the fishery," said ADF&G fisheries biologist Forrest Bowers. "This harvest strategy has resulted in recent biomass and harvest levels that are among the largest we���ve seen since the early 1980s," according to Bowers.

In Alaska, the future of seafood stocks and the environment are more important than opportunities for commercial harvest. Every year, Alaska���s scientists and fisheries managers set strict quotas for the number of crab that can be harvested to maintain a healthy and sustainable population.

This year���s reduction in the king crab quota is an example of Alaska���s precautionary, science-based fisheries management in action. Because of this careful method, Alaska���s fisheries are considered a model for the world. Controlling the amount of seafood harvested through quota establishment is key in preventing overfishing and ensures that there will be plenty of wild, natural and sustainable Alaska seafood for generations to come.