The red king crab quota fell from 20.4 million pounds last year to 16 million pounds this season. Last year's quota was down slightly, about 20,000 pounds, from the previous year.

The drop in the snow crab quota could actually have been much worse. Depending upon the biomass found in the summer survey, federal fishery scientists were recommending a quota of 16 million pounds as part of a federal rebuilding plan after the fishery was classified as overfished in 1999, setting in motion a series of biomass targets under the Manguson-Stevens Act.

The biomass during last year's survey was estimated at 260 million pounds, while the target for the 10-year plan was 317 million pounds. Rather than issue such a devastatingly low quota on a fishery that is rebuilding, although perhaps not as quickly as would be optimal, managers instead will implement a new five-year rebuilding plan beginning next year.

Bairdi tanner crab continues its tumble after three years of sharp increases. The fishery re-opened for the first time in a decade during the first year of the crab rationalization program, the 2005/2006 season, with a quota of 1.5 million pounds. The quota doubled every year, reaching almost 6 million pounds during the 2007-08 season, and then began a precipitous drop.

This year only the eastern district will open, with a quota of 1.3 million pounds. The fishery is considered almost over-fished. Fishery managers have two years to come up with a rebuilding plan.

One bright spot is the re-opening of the St. Matthew Island blue king crab fishery, which has been closed since 1999 while stocks rebuilt. It is now considered rebuilt and will have a quota of 1.2 million pounds. However, biologists warn that 75 percent of the male crab population is sub-legal, good news for recruits into the fishery, but they caution fisherman to be careful while handling the immature crab to reduce mortality.

A new study has been released that shows that crab lose limbs, show reflex impairment, and die in direct response to the amount of exposure to cold, so fishermen are asked to return them to the water as quickly as possible.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has estimated that up to 25 percent of crab that are brought on deck in sub-freezing weather die as a result.

Halibut prices have started their fall climb, as the remaining quota dwindles and fall storms create long waits between deliveries. With only 14 percent of the quota left to be caught, and less than half of that in areas that deliver to ports on the road system, prices paid to fishermen have inched up over the past few weeks and are now well over the $4 per pound mark for fish over 20 pounds.

Buyers in Homer this week paid $4 per pound for 10-20 pound fish, $4.40 for 20-40 pounders, and $4.70 for fish over 40 pounds.

Halibut prices have inched upward throughout this decade, with prices in 2001 state-wide averaging $1.99 per pound, reaching the $3 per pound in 2005, and $4.33 per pound in 2007, the last year for which the figure is available.

The lowest average price in the available records is 1992, when the state-wide average was 96 cents per pound.

Prices did fall this year amid the global economic downturn, bottoming out at around $2.50 per pound for smalls in mid-summer when deliveries were strong.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is leading a trade mission to China next month, traveling to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Qingdao, giving suppliers an opportunity to meet with key seafood importers from each region.

The trade mission will begin at the 2009 China Seafood Expo in Qingdao, which last year featured exhibitors from 34 countries and visitors from 84 countries. ASMI will have a booth at the Expo.

Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978. She also designs and builds gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and gillnets salmon in upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist. She can be reached at realist468@gmail.com.