2021/22 and 2022/23 Bristol Bay Red King Crab and Bering Sea Snow Crab Fisheries
Disaster Relief Distributed

On May 9, 2023, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce made a disaster determination for the Alaska Bering Sea Crab Fisheries 2021/2022 and Alaska Bering Sea Crab Fisheries, 2022/2023, under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in response to March 3, 2022, and October 21, 2022, requests from Governor Dunleavy. NOAA Fisheries allocated $94,489,726 and $96,621,465 to address losses to the affected management areas. The State of Alaska, in consultation with stakeholders and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, drafted a spend plan and forwarded the plan to Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), the administrator of the federal grant for the disaster funds.

PSMFC mailed initial vessel owner relief in July 2025. A second payment for the remaining 25% was mailed in May 2026 along with captains and crew member relief. Captains and crew member applications closed in December 2025 and relief checks were mailed in May 2026.

Relief checks for quota shareholders were mailed in September 2025.

The spend plan allocated funds to help partially restore losses to fishery participants impacted by the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Bristol Bay red king and Bering Sea snow crab fishery disaster and for research. Research funds will be distributed to the Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation, ADF&G, UAF, and Farallon Institute for scientific research projects identified in the spend plan and projects selected from the competitive bid process.

Documents

Bristol Bay Red King Crab and Bering Sea Snow Crab Fisheries 2021/22 and 2022/23, Disaster: