BERING SEA FISHERIES RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Bering sea snow crab and opilio research: a high-priority pilot field project was completed on bering sea opilio (snow crab) in the late summer of 2024 by bsfrf in collaboration with nmfs and adf&g. Two industry vessels (the fv vesteraalen and the fv confidence) were chartered to complete sampling at specified stations across the bering sea shelf opilio grounds. Portions of this sampling were conducted in coordination with the nmfs survey operating in the same time and area. The two charters used pot and trawl sampling gear for comparative catches to inform further full-scale opilio research of similar nature. In early may 2024, the bsfrf co-hosted a snow crab workshop in st. Johns, newfoundland, in collaboration with the department of fisheries and oceans (dfo), canada. Several bering sea crab resource stakeholders (bsfrf, adf&g, and nmfs) traveled to st. Johns for a three-day workshop hosted in-person by canadian snow crab researchers. The workshop was intended to hear from alaska, canada, and other international experts for advice on sustainable management of global snow crab fisheries during periods of ecosystem change and variable stock dynamics. Findings from the workshop are in press with a peer-reviewed publication.