Record crab price, lower volume: Commercial crabbing commences amid steep competition
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The 2025 Washington commercial crab season is officially in full swing, with several local crabbers delivering their first offloads of the season on Thursday, Jan. 16, at local ports along the Long Beach Peninsula. “There are a lot of jumbos, nice and hard two-pounders. It’s a very good product.” reported Florian Mumford, captain of the F/V Vengeance. Fishermen reported strong currents and steep competition among the opening-day hurdles, leading to lower-than-normal catch volumes. However, the $5.75 opening record price from processors has been a huge relief, up from $3.50 last season. “We’re getting a really good price,” said F/V Jeannie Irene Captain Kelsey Cutting. “It’s going to make up for there not being a lot of volume.” “There’s a lot of guys from Westport and from California, because they have a lot of whale entanglement issues. They had a pot reduction [in California] and a lot of those guys are coming up and buying Oregon and Washington crab permits,” Cutting said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:27
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