Southeast king crab registration closes Oct. 2 ahead of a Nov. 1 opening

Southeast Alaska crabbers have until Friday, Oct. 2, to register for the red and blue king crab season, the state says. Registering late costs an extra $45.

The season opens at 10 a.m. Nov. 1 and runs as a competitive fishery — a race for a shared quota rather than individual shares. That quota is about 213,000 pounds this year, a hair above last season and just over the 200,000-pound minimum the state needs to open a fishery at all. It's divided among 10 areas: three set from surveys, and seven others managed on the fly during the season, with the state able to close a zone on eight hours' notice as the catch comes in.

Registration materials, pot tags and logbooks are available at area offices, the department said. Crabbers who pull a tagged crab in Seymour Canal or Gambier Bay are asked to note the location, tag number and whether it was legal on a packet form.