Vol. 53 - Alaska Resources Library and Information Services

A further observation germane to the female reproductive cycle at
the Pribilof Islands is that egg hatching in Ulga Bay occurred in both
January and March (Somerton and MacIntosh 1982).
Allowing for a latitudinal
delay for reproductive events in the Pribilofs (e.g., Dungeness
crab in California hatch eggs about 1.5 montns earlier than populations
in Washington), it may be that a portion of the females hatch eggs in
February or early March, others in April and May.
This notion may
reflect timing differences between primiparous and multiparous females.
3.3 The Fishery
Red king crab until recently have been the most important crab fishery
of the United States in both dollars and pounds landed. In 1980
king crab landings were 185 x 106 lbs and even exceeded blue crab (Callinectes
sapidus) landings of the east coast (NOAA 1981). In 1979 to 1980
the value of king crabs landed was about $168.7 million or 58% of total
U.S. ex-vessel value of crabs (Otto, MacIntosh, Armetta and Wilson 1980;
Eaton 1980; Otto 1981b; NOAA 1981) (Fig. 3.8).
Of the total Alaska
statewide king crab landings in 1978-79 and 1979-80, over 75% came from
catches in the southeastern Bering Sea (117 x 106 and 130 x 106 lbs,
respectively; NPFMC 1980; Pacific Packers Report 1981).
Red king crab
commercial catches (Fig. 3.9) come largely from the middle shelf between 50
and 100 m, and 50 to more than 200 km offshore of the North Aleutian Shelf
(Otto 1981a, b).
King crab are the largest and oldest crab caught by U. S. fisheries.
Males are 50% recruited to the pot fishery at 8 years of age and
fully recruited by 9 years (McCaughran and Powell 1977; Reeves and
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