Low stock numbers usher in a ‘devastating’ Dungeness crab season
One month after the Dungeness crab season opened on the Central Coast, Santa Cruz fishers are grappling with an extremely low number of crabs. “It’s devastating,” said fisher Valerie Phillips, who splits her time fishing out of Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay harbors. She said she and her crew, which includes her husband, father and a crew member, have caught only about a third of what they would normally catch in a season. “We’re talking about pulling the pots already. We’re probably going to switch to our next fishery.” “It’s a down year up and down the coast, even in Oregon,” said Tim Obert, a Santa Cruz-based fisher with more than 25 years of experience. “In the Santa Cruz area and Monterey Bay, there’s almost nothing.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:02
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