Overheated planet update: “Record sea ice significantly reduced available fishing grounds through a large portion of the Bering Sea snow crab season"

In Alaska's Bering Sea, receding ice helps fishermen to fill snow crab quota | Alaska Dispatch

Normally, the opilio snow crab season is over by March or April. But this year was different because of ice covering the fishing grounds for much of the season, denying fishermen access to the little opilio, which average 1.2 pounds.

The fishery was set to close on May 31, but Fish and Game gave fishermen a couple of extra weeks, until June 15.

“Record sea ice significantly reduced available fishing grounds through a large portion of the Bering Sea snow crab season. Extensive ice coverage has persisted into mid-May resulting in 23 percent of the snow crab total allowable catch unharvested,” according to the Fish and Game press release announcing the extension.