Prince William Sound's spot shrimp are in decline — and harvesters have until Monday to pull gear

Recreational and subsistence shrimp harvesters in Prince William Sound have until June 8 to pull their gear from the water, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reminded permit holders in its June 2 fishing report — the final week of a season that's been compressed by what the department describes as a period of low productivity and declining biomass.

The Prince William Sound spot shrimp commercial fishery is closed for 2026. ADF&G's 2026 stock assessment put the spot shrimp biomass at roughly 1.1 million pounds, or about 36 percent of carrying capacity — below the 40 percent threshold the department uses to determine whether to open the commercial fishery. The closure marks the second consecutive year of a constrained season, with the department's earlier survey analysis pointing to overfishing and unfavorable environmental conditions as contributing factors.

The noncommercial fishery — both sport and subsistence — has stayed open under tighter limits. Emergency Order 2-SHR-6-19-26, issued in February, cut the pot limit to two pots per person with a maximum of two per vessel (plus one spare pot onboard) and shortened the open season from the regulated May 1-September 15 window to May 1-June 8.

The allocation between user groups is unusual for an Alaska fishery: under regulation, noncommercial users get 60 percent of the total allowable harvest, while commercial users receive 40 percent. Emergency orders in both 2025 and 2026 have shortened the noncommercial season to keep harvest within reduced allowable limits.

Permit holders must submit harvest reports to ADF&G whether or not they harvested shrimp.