Understanding the Bering Sea snow crab collapse | Alaska Insight

Alaska Public Media | By Valerie Lake

Published April 21, 2023 at 8:59 PM AKDT

A female television host talks to guest on a screen. — Lori Townsend talks with experts on the set of Alaska Insight about the Bering Sea Snow Crab collapse.

The Bering Sea snow crab season was canceled this year after billions of crabs disappeared – devastating a commercial fishing industry worth $200 million dollars and the livelihoods of those who depend on it. Now, fishermen and researchers are working to figure out what happened.

On this Alaska Insight, host Lori Townsend is joined by Gabriel Prout, a crab fisherman and owner of the F/V Silver Spray, and Erin Fedewa, a fisheries biologist with the federal government, to discuss the impacts and potential causes of the crash.

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Valerie Lake

Originally from the Central Coast of California, Valerie joined Alaska Public Media in July 2017. She creates original video content for the station's TV and digital platforms while also overseeing the Production Department. Before moving to Alaska, Valerie worked as an ENG Editor at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina. She also served in the U.S. Air Force as a TV and Radio Broadcast Journalist where she traveled around Europe, Africa, The Baltics, Australia, and the Southern United States reporting on military events, exercises, and missions. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, backcountry skiing, backpacking, yoga, and traveling.

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