Strike ends for Kodiak crab fishermen

KODIAK, Alaska (KTUU) - Tanner crab fishermen in Kodiak have left the docks and gone fishing after receiving a modest increase in the price per pound of crab from the four cannery plants on Kodiak Island.

The 130 crab fishing boats that employ nearly 500 fishermen had been on strike for two weeks, demanding an increase in the price per pound offered by processors. Kodiak Crab Alliance Cooperative secretary and treasurer Kevin Abena said while driving his boat that crab fishermen still wanted more money, but decided to go fishing anyway.

“What we did as an association was we decided to go fishing, everybody for their own markets,” Abena said. “But, that increase, it’s not what we wanted. That’s not enough money for these crab, but we felt it was probably time to get moving on this fishery.”

In mid-January, crabbers were offered a price of $2.50 per pound, which is a stark decrease from the price offered by canneries for tanner crab last season.

Of the four cannery operations in Kodiak, Abena said that Alaska Pacific Seafoods offered a 10-cent increase, which was then matched by Pacific Seafood. Ocean Beauty Icicle decided to offer profit sharing to the 30 boats that they serve, and Trident Seafoods kept their price per pound at $3.25.

Most small crab fishing boats in Kodiak work in partnership with a specific cannery operator.

“Being that this is mostly a small boat fleet, all those small boats are tied to these processors, and that’s where this whole price issue was kind of extrapolated, because these guys have no other markets,” Abena said. “They can’t drive out to Peter Pan (in Valdez) they can’t drive out to Dutch Harbor. They are pretty much locked into delivering to Kodiak.”

Abena said that the fleet of fishermen remains hopeful that the canneries will be able to sell the crab at a higher price, creating more profits that Abena hopes will be shared with the fleet using retroactive compensation.

“I’m happy to be out fishing but I’m not happy about the price,” Abena said. “Hopefully they do better on this crab than they expect to.”

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