Target: Simon Kinneen, Chair of North Pacific Fishery Management Council
Goal: Prolong ban on harvesting of snow crabs in Bering Sea.
They once numbered eight billion in the Bering Sea. Within just three years, their population plummeted to one billion. Now the Alaskan snow crab’s ultimate fate is perilous and unknown.
Overfishing has contributed to the plight of these animals. A greater toll, however, has been exerted by the rapidly defrosting Arctic region, which is warming at an alarming four times the rate of the rest of the world. Because the snow crab thrives in cold waters, its quickly changing habitat has left a dangerous and inhospitable home.
The dwindling numbers so alarmed fishery officials that they called off the Alaskan snow crab harvest. Juvenile crabs recently spotted in the region may have a chance to replenish populations as a result. But these animals need multiple years to reach maturity, and they need a safe haven to do so.
Sign the petition below to urge leaders to extend the moratorium on snow crab harvesting indefinitely.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Kinneen,
The Alaskan snow crab is in dire straits: a reality you recognized when you canceled the harvest for this year. The road to recovery will be long but not impossible if these animals have the time and the room to resurge. Juveniles currently in the sea need years, not months, to bolster the population.
Please think about the long-term and extend the prohibition on harvesting. Give the snow crab a fighting chance.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Visviva
