That being said, I have seen many episodes of Deadliest Catch. Many times the crab boat goes out to an area that they have been catching crabs for the last decade or so and doesn't get one crab in the pots. Moves to another area and fills the boat up in jig time. Who's to say where the things are right now? Perhaps the government is looking in the wrong place.
You could put the government in control of the Sahara and they would run out of sand in two years.
The crabs move onto better feeding grounds. The fisherman just have to find them. That is why it is called fishing.