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1B Missing Snow Crabs. Canary in the Coal mine?

crash_davis

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23113

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If you have a hankering for some delicious snow crabs, you might be out of luck. For the 2nd year in a row, Alaska closed down the winter snow crab season. An estimated 1B snow crabs have disappeared.

Today's article about the closing. The article states it's the first closing ever but my readings say otherwise.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fishing-alaska-snow-crab-season-canceled-investigation-climate-change/

 

 

More in depth article from August.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/08/21/alaska-crab-climate/

But what happened to those snow crabs?

“We don’t have data to specifically say what happened,” said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Bob Foy, the science and research director of the agency’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center. “What we know is that we had extreme heat wave in 2019, and we had numerous fish and crab stocks moving into areas they hadn’t been historically. The fishery moved its effort toward the northwest.”

But movement alone doesn’t explain it. Crabs are a benthic species, meaning they crawl around on the ocean bottom and are not able to migrate as quickly as many finfish.

“The biomass of crabs up there at St. Lawrence Island [northwest of mainland Alaska in the Bering Sea] didn’t change much. What that suggests is there was a large mortality event or they moved into deeper water beyond our survey or into the Russian shelf,” Foy said, but he sounds skeptical about that last possibility. “The magnitude of biomass could not all have moved without us detecting it. We believe we had a very large mortality event, which points to an extreme event that we have never seen before in the Bering Sea.”

He said the crabs, perhaps because of heightened sensitivity to their ecosystem, are like the canary in a coal mine — for the climate and those who make their living from crabbing.

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23113

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From my readings this morning, take your pick.

Warming oceans, microplastics, fucked up Ocean currents (due to global warming) which are pivotal to weather and marine life, who the fuck knows.

But we can all agree this is not a good thing. 

I always go back to "what kind of world are we leaving our grandkids?"  I think we all know this answer. Then the question is, what are we doing about it? Answer: not much.

Edited by crash_davis
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YGIFS

YGIFS 19450

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Joke's on you poor evangelical bastards.  The Jew came back for a billion of us, but in a master stroke of irony...he didn't rapture a billion humans, he raptured a billion snowcrabs---the one sea creature safe in the Messiah's afterlife.  He was gonna take a billion hogs but leaving us without bacon seemed cruel.  

I'm sure this is all part of nature's normal cycle, right?  Just eviscerating 10 digits worth of dozens, if not hundreds, of marine species every single year?  

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Pescado_Rojo

Pescado_Rojo 19416

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Not related, but kind of related. Any of you guys that fish the coast noticed the absence of blue crabs in the bay? I used to see tons of them, but now rarely see them...and when I do, they're small. Hell, Bubba's didn't even have Blue Crab when we ate there in early September, and last time we were there (3 weeks ago) the ones they served us weren't fresh and had obviously been frozen then thrown into the boil water to "Season" them. I assume the freeze in 2021 is to blame, but I'm not a marine biologist. 

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4639

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Just now, Pescado_Rojo said:

Not related, but kind of related. Any of you guys that fish the coast noticed the absence of blue crabs in the bay? I used to see tons of them, but now rarely see them...and when I do, they're small. Hell, Bubba's didn't even have Blue Crab when we ate there in early September, and last time we were there (3 weeks ago) the ones they served us weren't fresh and had obviously been frozen then thrown into the boil water to "Season" them. I assume the freeze in 2021 is to blame, but I'm not a marine biologist. 

I'm sure '21 put a dent in them, but I've been noticing less and less for probably last 5 years.  I don't recall what year, but drought/over wet years seem to have effects as well, as expected.  Seems like there's more and more styrofoam floats every year though.  I always chalked it up to more commercial bay raping=less crabs. 

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

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53 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Warming oceans, microplastics, fucked up Ocean currents (due to global warming) which are pivotal to weather and marine life, who the fuck knows.

Before long, big business will start to realize that they can make money off trying to slow climate change. I dont' mean more regulation on them but cleaning up the environment, paid by the govt.

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Pescado_Rojo

Pescado_Rojo 19416

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9 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I'm sure '21 put a dent in them, but I've been noticing less and less for probably last 5 years.  I don't recall what year, but drought/over wet years seem to have effects as well, as expected.  Seems like there's more and more styrofoam floats every year though.  I always chalked it up to more commercial bay raping=less crabs. 

Yea, I don't know if they're putting out more traps because there are fewer crabs and they're more scattered, or if there's more people crabbing. I can't imagine they're selling more commercial harvest licenses, but who knows. I know this time of year, with the high water in the marsh, it's fucking hazardous there are so many. 

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23113

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25 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Not related, but kind of related. Any of you guys that fish the coast noticed the absence of blue crabs in the bay? I used to see tons of them, but now rarely see them...and when I do, they're small. Hell, Bubba's didn't even have Blue Crab when we ate there in early September, and last time we were there (3 weeks ago) the ones they served us weren't fresh and had obviously been frozen then thrown into the boil water to "Season" them. I assume the freeze in 2021 is to blame, but I'm not a marine biologist. 

I told my wife this years ago. Fishing the flats, especially mid-coast water clarify, you can see crabs. There were a ton more when I started kayak flats fishing in 2006. Now, they are few and far between and small as shit. Drought, water salinity, over harvesting, pollution, probably all of it.

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23113

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I was in Milos, Greece this summer. There aren't many American's there. At one of the beaches/coves, we see a family. Wife and I think, they look like they are from California. Younger boy looks like he's spent a ton of time on top of a surf board. He gets in the water and yells to his parents, "Ewww, micro plastics everywhere." 

Up to then, that shit hadn't crossed my mind. Sure enough I look down in the water and shit was everywhere. That kid was more aware than I was.

The kids know we are fucking up the planet. Sad thing is our and the boomer generation don't give a fuck. As long as we can retire in peace and comfort, fuck the future generations. It's their problem.

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 105147

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8 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

I told my wife this years ago. Fishing the flats, especially mid-coast water clarify, you can see crabs. There were a ton more when I started kayak flats fishing in 2006. Now, they are few and far between and small as shit. Drought, water salinity, over harvesting, pollution, probably all of it.

Layer on that certain types of fish being where they didn't used to be.  E.g., mangrove snapper and snook.  20 years ago, those were a lower coast/Padre thing only.  But over the last 10-15 years, I've caught both near Surfside beach.  Bottom line, warmer water fish have moved northward.

Maybe the 2021 freeze put a halt to that, but that was a wildcard, not the overall trend of warmer water that we've seen.  And water is where you'd expect to see a lot of the effects of climate change.  Everyone thinks about air temp (because that's where we live, we aren't fish), but in terms of thermodynamics, the oceans are a much, much bigger heat sink.  The effects take more time, and are more subtle, but they're also much bigger and more far-ranging in their impact.  Wouldn't surprise me at all if the snow crab issue is in large part climate-driven.

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fattyflattie

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32 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Layer on that certain types of fish being where they didn't used to be.  E.g., mangrove snapper and snook.  20 years ago, those were a lower coast/Padre thing only.  But over the last 10-15 years, I've caught both near Surfside beach.  Bottom line, warmer water fish have moved northward.

Mangrove and snook have been in that area semi regularly since at least 1990. Mangrove snapper in much greater #s than snook, but I caught my first snook in the mouth of the Brazos in 1990-ish.   There used to be ALOT more tarpon in there, too. Mangrove snapper were regular on the surfside jetties as long as I can remember.  We would wreck them at the jack up like clockwork.  Neither like SPI, especially the snook, but mangroves been there. 

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Cornpop

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2 hours ago, YGIFS said:

Joke's on you poor evangelical bastards.  The Jew came back for a billion of us, but in a master stroke of irony...he didn't rapture a billion humans, he raptured a billion snowcrabs---the one sea creature safe in the Messiah's afterlife.  He was gonna take a billion hogs but leaving us without bacon seemed cruel.  

I'm sure this is all part of nature's normal cycle, right?  Just eviscerating 10 digits worth of dozens, if not hundreds, of marine species every single year?  

What does religion have to do with crab legs?

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23113

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I guess pussy is off the menu too. No crab legs or pussy? Why even live?

 

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1452611/jewish/Why-Do-Jews-Not-Eat-Pork-or-Crab.htm

In the Bible, God lists two requirements for an animal to be kosher (fit to eat) for a Jew: Animals must chew their cud and have split hooves. Pigs do have split hooves but do not chew their cud, so we cannot eat pig meat and its derivatives. In the seafood department, we may only eat fish that have both fins and scales.

Deuteronomy, Chapter 14:8-10:

And the pig, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You shall neither eat of their flesh nor touch their carcass.

These you may eat of all that are in the waters; all that have fins and scales, you may eat.

But whatever does not have fins and scales, you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.

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Nice Guy Eddie

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1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

I was in Milos, Greece this summer. There aren't many American's there. At one of the beaches/coves, we see a family. Wife and I think, they look like they are from California. Younger boy looks like he's spent a ton of time on top of a surf board. He gets in the water and yells to his parents, "Ewww, micro plastics everywhere." 

Up to then, that shit hadn't crossed my mind. Sure enough I look down in the water and shit was everywhere. That kid was more aware than I was.

The kids know we are fucking up the planet. Sad thing is our and the boomer generation don't give a fuck. As long as we can retire in peace and comfort, fuck the future generations. It's their problem.

I wince when I see pictures or videos of rivers in 3rd world countries where it looks like you can walk across the surface because it's nothing but plastic. Or who knows what. And it just flows out to sea.

 

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23113

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Just now, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I wince when I see pictures or videos of rivers in 3rd world countries where it looks like you can walk across the surface because it's nothing but plastic. Or who knows what. And it just flows out to sea.

 

I'm aware of all the bigger plastic shit floating on the ocean and running from inland rivers from 3rd world countries. I guess I never paid attention to the micro plastics. Honestly was completely unaware of them until that kid pointed it out. 

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YGIFS

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37 minutes ago, Cornpop said:

Jews don't even eat crab, do they?

NO, hence me saying "the one sea creature safe with the Messiah and his people.  You'd be surprised how many rapture-believers don't know Jesus is Jewish, and kosher at that.  Whenever I hear about a billion living entities leaving earth...I think of "The Leftovers"  

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Cornpop

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17 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

NO, hence me saying "the one sea creature safe with the Messiah and his people.  You'd be surprised how many rapture-believers don't know Jesus is Jewish, and kosher at that.  Whenever I hear about a billion living entities leaving earth...I think of "The Leftovers"  

Great show...one of my favs

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Bevo

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3 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Not related, but kind of related. Any of you guys that fish the coast noticed the absence of blue crabs in the bay? I used to see tons of them, but now rarely see them...and when I do, they're small. Hell, Bubba's didn't even have Blue Crab when we ate there in early September, and last time we were there (3 weeks ago) the ones they served us weren't fresh and had obviously been frozen then thrown into the boil water to "Season" them. I assume the freeze in 2021 is to blame, but I'm not a marine biologist. 

Kind of weird, but the pescado rojo seemed a little fatter and happier.

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Bevo

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2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Layer on that certain types of fish being where they didn't used to be.  E.g., mangrove snapper and snook.  20 years ago, those were a lower coast/Padre thing only.  But over the last 10-15 years, I've caught both near Surfside beach.  Bottom line, warmer water fish have moved northward.

Maybe the 2021 freeze put a halt to that, but that was a wildcard, not the overall trend of warmer water that we've seen.  And water is where you'd expect to see a lot of the effects of climate change.  Everyone thinks about air temp (because that's where we live, we aren't fish), but in terms of thermodynamics, the oceans are a much, much bigger heat sink.  The effects take more time, and are more subtle, but they're also much bigger and more far-ranging in their impact.  Wouldn't surprise me at all if the snow crab issue is in large part climate-driven.

I also see more whitewing dove in Austin than there used to be. When I went to school here, I don't remember seeing any. I just chalked it up to immigration.

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Bevo

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1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I wince when I see pictures or videos of rivers in 3rd world countries where it looks like you can walk across the surface because it's nothing but plastic. Or who knows what. And it just flows out to sea.

 

You used to see turds floating in Acapulco Bay. Probably still doo.

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19450

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9 minutes ago, Bevo said:

You relatives are cannibals?

No, I am not related to Tom Perrotta.  I don't think he's a cannibal either, but who knows where these artsy types get their inspiration? 

Never a fan of crab legs, but won't turn 'em down if I see 'em at a party.  But I always think of Jim Gaffigan's bit when he orders it at a seafood restaurant, "Oh you'd like the snow crab, sir?  Let me get you some tools." 

Bottom line, no climate change angle here...this is just fucked up all the way around.  I think a lot of this may have to do with all the plastics in the ocean.  Even the most ardent deniers I know, who are fishermen like me, take a look at those photographs and satellite images of those flotillas of shit out in the ocean and think, "Yeah, that's the size of Texas...I bet the marine life don't like that too well." Once you start swimming under it and attempt to surface...you can't...for 500 miles.  That can't be good for morale down there.  

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