From SeafoodNews.Com/June 23, 2026
Longline fishing for golden king crab along the Aleutian Islands Image from Keyport LLC
Yesterday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the season dates and catch limits for Aleutian Islands golden king crab. The season opens August 1, 2026 and closes April 30, 2027. This year, the fleet is allowed to catch 4.742 million pounds of the delicacy, slightly more than 13% above the 2025/26 season.
Alaska’s Aleutian Golden King crab is harvested and managed differently from all other types of crab landed in Alaska. The total allowable catch (TAC) is divided into two designated fishing regions, east and west of 174° W longitude, each with its own harvest limit. Those limits are then split between Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ), Community Development Quota (CDQ), and the Adak Community Allocation (ACA).
For the coming season, in the management district East of 174° W longitude, the IFQ IS 2,865,600 pounds, and the CDQ is 318,400 pounds, for a total of 3,184,000 pounds.
In the district west of 174° W longitude, IFQ holders get 1,402,200 pounds, the CDQ gets 155,800 pounds, for a total of 1,558,000 pounds.
Because golden king crab is found on the rocky, volcanic slopes of the Aleutian Islands seafloor, dropping single crab pots runs the risk of being swept off the steep slopes by swift currents. Instead, crab longline gear is used, stringing 30-50 pots on a single line and draping it across the bottom.
According to Keyport, the US’s leading supplier and processor of Alaska Gold King Crab, this method “anchors” the pots to the uneven terrain and prevents them from moving around in strong currents and tide changes. Keyport also offers an Alaska Crab Buying Guide , which covers all species of commercial crab caught in Alaska.
Vessel registration will begin at 12:00 noon in Dutch Harbor on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The golden king crab fleet is comprised of catcher-only vessels (CVs) and catcher-processor vessels (CPs). Both must comply with observer requirements.
CVs are required to carry an observer for 50% (by weight) of their harvested golden king crab during each of three trimesters (Aug. 1- Oct. 31; Nov. 1 – Jan. 31; and Feb. 1 – April 30). CPs are required to carry an observer for 100% of all fishing activity. Observer coverage is funded using Aleutian Islands golden king crab test fish funds. Please contact Saltwater Inc. at (907) 539-2548 to arrange for observer coverage.
For more information, contact ADF&G in Dutch Harbor at (907) 581-1239.
