1 Introduction Year-round groundfishing activities off Alaska, particularly the eastern Bering Sea, account for more than 50% of the commercial U.S. catch by weight (Abelman et al., 2023). Winter fishing seasons in the shallow Bering waters include demersal fish such as walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) and several species of rockfish, as well as Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi), opilio crab (snow) (Chionoecetes opilio), and three species of king crab.