(Anchorage) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is announcing the Prince William Sound sport and subsistence Tanner crab fisheries for the 2025–2026 season. A permit is required to participate in these fisheries and is available in the ADF&G online store under “Fishing & Shellfish Permits”. The Tanner crab fisheries will be open from October 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026, with a bag and possession limit of 12 legal sized (5” or greater shell width) male Tanner crab per person and gear is limited to 2 pots per vessel.

The Tanner crab sport fishery was adopted at the December 2024 Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting and provides opportunity for residents and non-residents to harvest Tanner crab in the Valdez non-subsistence area.

“If you want to set Tanner crab pots in the Valdez area you will need to get a sport permit. The Valdez nonsubsistence area remains closed for subsistence users so make sure to get the correct permit,” stated Area Management Biologist Brittany Blain-Roth.

Individuals are encouraged to obtain only the sport or the subsistence permit, not both. There is limited benefit to having both permits, because you may not retain two bag limits. The sport permit allows an individual to fish in all Prince William Sound salt waters, while the subsistence permit area is more restrictive. However, the subsistence permit allows for an annual harvest of 3 male Golden king crab and the use of ring nets as an alternative to pot gear. Only Alaska residents are eligible for the subsistence permit.

Each permit holder is responsible for reporting online by April 15, 2026, even if the permit holder did not fish. Individuals who fail to report online by April 15, 2026, WILL NOT be eligible for a permit the following year.

For additional information on the sport Tanner crab fishery, please contact Area Management Biologist Brittany Blain-Roth at (907) 267-2186 and for the subsistence Tanner and Golden king crab fishery contact Assistant Area Management Biologist Andrew Pollak at (907) 235-8191.

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