Late-season sea ice in the Bering Sea is snarling fishing operations, disrupting both trawl and crab fleets as ice fields push across traditional fishing grounds. Vessels are being forced to alter plans, slow their pace, and relocate to avoid hazardous floes.
Crabbers report having to repeatedly move their gear to keep it from being overrun by drifting ice. The shifting pack can drag buoys and pots or sever lines, increasing the risk of damage and loss and making retrieval far more difficult. “We have to keep shifting gear so the ice doesn’t run over it. Ice can drag buoys and pots and even cut buoys off, which makes getting our pots back really hard,” said Cory Lescher of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers.
Trawl vessels are also navigating narrower lanes and contending with ice that limits access to fishing areas, prompting some boats to wait out movements of the pack or reposition to safer waters. The conditions are adding time, fuel costs, and safety concerns as crews monitor ice charts and weather, and adjust to rapidly changing ice edges.
With ice lingering later than usual, both sectors face a slower, more complicated end to the season, with gear protection and crew safety taking priority over fishing efficiency.
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