Tag Archives: Commercial dungeness crab season

San Mateo County crabbing season producing a solid yield, gear reduction remains a challenge

A month after commercial Dungeness crab season opened in the Half Moon Bay area on Jan. 18, residents and tourists alike can purchase fresh crab off the back of local fishing vessels docked at the Pillar Point Harbor. Seafood lovers can also pick it up fresh at nearby fish markets or enjoy it cooked seasonally at nearby restaurants, which serve both whole crabs and different variations of seafood boil medley. Half Moon Bay fisher Barry Day reiterated the sentiment. “We’re having a good year now, but with the quieter years, you need all the gear,” he said. Nevertheless, he said, fishers in the Half Moon Bay harbor are relatively “busy with what we got,” Day said. more, >>click to read<< 07:55

Crab gear reduction for commercial fishers extended through mid-March

Less than a month after the commercial Dungeness crab season opened in the Monterey Bay region, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has extended the gear reduction in all fishing zones south of the Mendocino/Sonoma County line. “It’s about the minimum we can survive on viably,” fisher Tim Obert told Lookout in January. Obert is a Santa Cruz native who has fished commercially for more than two decades. He serves as president of the Santa Cruz Commercial Fishermen’s Association and sits on the state’s Dungeness Crab Task Force. more, >>click to read<< 10:42

(PHOTOS) Crab On

As is seemingly never not the case these days, the start of our local commercial Dungeness crab season was again delayed this year. First, it was poor meat quality that prompted the CDFW to push back opening day to Jan. 5. Then, there was another setback: another setback caused by stalled negotiations on this year’s market price for the tasty crustaceans. Crabbing is complicated, people! But that’s all behind us now. On Monday morning Humboldt’s commercial crabbers set out, bright and early, to get their pots in the water. The crab is coming, friends.  Local photographer and LoCO pal Matt Filar dragged it out of bed at the crack of Monday’s dawn to document and honor the hard work of our hometown heroic fishermen. We present some of his shots below. >>click to view<< 17:50

Crab Fishermen on Strike

Commercial Dungeness crab season is allowed locally as of midnight on January 5th. However, we are seeing no crab gear in the water.  Local Dungeness crab fishermen are holding out for better pay after they say they’ve been offered an unacceptable amount per pound. The buyers are not offering a price that we’re okay with,” says Jake McMaster, Captain of the Fishing Vessel Captain Banjo.  “They offered $3. We countered with $3.50 on the 1st of January, and we have not had a response to that price negotiation.” McMasters says they were getting this price over a decade ago, “$3 a pound– 2012, 2013, ten years ago. Meanwhile, Dungeness crab fishermen in Oregon are getting more than $3 a pound for their crabs. more, >>click to read<< 06:46

3rd Delay. Commercial crab season delayed again as fishermen seek better compensation

crabber Mathew Paul

Commercial Dungeness crab season was set to open locally on Friday, but it appears the start date may be pushed back yet again. On Wednesday, the Eureka crab shack Jenna Lee’s Seafood announced they were going on strike along with others in efforts to get a better base price for crabs this season. “The situation with the crab and the weather has changed. Seems the fish companies can’t pay the fisherman a decent price so that they might make a living,” said Jenna Lee’s Seafood in a social media post Wednesday morning, “So we are on strike with all the others to help support a base price. Also the weather is marginal at best. We just can’t even guess at this time what will happen but feel it may not last long.” A longtime Humboldt County fisherman who asked to be quoted off the record said that the issue stems from the offer from the seafood company ‘Pacific Seafood’ per-pound of crab. Video, more, >>click to read<< 13:59

Dungeness Crab season begins January 5

The commercial Dungeness crab season commences in Del Norte County, this week. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFWD) announced the Dungeness season is now open in zones 1 and 2, Sonoma County line to the Oregon border. The delay in zones 3-6, South of the Sonoma / Mendocino will continue to be restricted. Multiple delays in opening the Crab season have been attributed to excessive humpback whale entanglements and the high number of whale sightings, according to the DFWD Assessment and Mitigation program. more, >>click to read<< 17:25

California’s commercial Dungeness crab season delayed yet again

California’s commercial Dungeness crab season has once again been delayed, officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced. Delays in the crabbing season have been implemented to protect humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles, protected species that are sometimes entangled in crabbing lines and gear. Years of repeated delays and the cancellation of this year’s salmon season have hurt Santa Cruz fishermen financially, says Tim Obert, local commercial fisherman and president of the Santa Cruz Commercial Fishermen’s Association. “This year’s crab season is going to be some of the first income for these boats since last year’s crab season closed,” said Obert, noting that he has economically relied on the black cod fishery this year, instead of the usual salmon and Dungeness crab mainstays. more, >>click to read<< 13:54

Dec. 16 set for commercial Dungeness crab season opening

Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery opens Dec. 16 from Cape Foulweather, just south of Depoe Bay, to the California border, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Pre-season testing shows that crabs remain too low in meat yield to open commercial fishing from Cape Foulweather to the Washington border. The next round of crab meat yield and biotoxin testing will help determine if this area can open Dec. 31 or is further delayed. Oregon, California and Washington coordinate Dungeness crab quality testing and the commercial season opening dates. A history of Oregon’s commercial crab landings is available online. more, >>click to read<< 06:37

Dungeness Crab Season Delayed Again, This Time Until Mid-December

The Commercial Dungeness crab fishing season has been delayed again, this time due partly to poor meat quality found in samples, and due to humpback whales still migrating south. While hopes for Thanksgiving crab were already dashed a few weeks ago with the initial delay, a second delay in California’s commercial Dungeness crab fishing season has been called by the state fish and wildlife authorities. In a Friday announcement, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that they would reevaluate the fishery on December 7 for a potential opening of the commercial season on December 16.  >>click to read<< 12:07

Oregon: Delayed Commercial Dungeness crab season

Pre-season testing shows Dungeness crabs are too low in meat yield in some ocean areas, delaying Oregon’s commercial season until at least Dec. 16, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Targeted to open Dec. 1, Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab season can be delayed so consumers get a high-quality product and crabs are not wasted. The commercial bay crab fishery (currently open) closes at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 1 in conjunction with the delayed ocean commercial season. It will reopen when the ocean commercial season does so. The next round of crab meat yield and biotoxin testing will occur in the coming weeks. Results help determine if the season opens Dec. 16 or is further delayed or split into areas with different opening dates. >>click to read<< 21:38

Commercial Dungeness crab season delayed by California Fish and Wildlife

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday delayed the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season, citing the need to protect humpback whales and other ocean life from entanglement. The delay — which will remain in effect until further notice — affects the taking and possession of commercially-caught Dungeness crab for 200 nautical miles extending from the California coastline. Additionally, a fleet advisory is in effect for recreational Dungeness crab, reminding fisheries to maintain best practices. The next risk assessment is scheduled for around Dec. 7. Friday’s decision falls on the heels of a late October call by the department to restrict recreational and commercial crab fishing in the state. >>click to read<< 09:01

California commercial Dungeness crab fishing season delayed

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced a delay in the season opener for California commercial Dungeness crab fishing off the Central and Southern Coast to protect whales from entanglement. The decision is based on a combination of excessive humpback whale entanglements in California Dungeness crab gear over the last three years and high numbers of recent humpback whale sightings off the central coast according to CDFW’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program criteria. Due to number of entanglements, NMFS is proposing to upgrade the California commercial Dungeness crab fishery to a Category I fishery,,, >>click to read<< 08:09

Boats begin offloading crab

After a month-and-a-half delay, Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab season is underway along at least part of the coast, and crab boats have been busy, already hauling significant catches back to port to be offloaded at the docks. Tim Novotny is the executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, an industry-funded agency established by the Oregon Legislature in 1977 to serve as an advocate for the crabbing industry. When Novotny was asked for his initial thoughts on this year’s season, he said, “It’s been a ball of yarn,” adding that it’s pretty much the opposite of last year. Photos, >click to read< 07:57

Pandemic, labor , product shortages, and supply chain issues disrupt Dungeness Crab market

Seafood distributors, sellers and processors point to a number of factors that converged to create a perfect storm: the coronavirus pandemic, labor shortages, product shortages, supply chain issues and market demands. All have contributed to drive prices up from the usual $25 or so per pound to as much as $52. This season was difficult for many in the industry. It opened late and yielded a mere 12 million pounds to date, compared to last year’s 20 million. On average, commercial crabbers land around 16 million pounds in Oregon, though the fishery can be cyclical, with boom and bust periods. >click to read< 19:13

Dungeness Crab season is going strong on Oregon Coast

The commercial Dungeness crab season has been underway for about four months. About 11 million pounds of crab have been off-loaded so far. The Dungeness Crab Commission says season yields go up and down each year. This year is expected to be a down year, but the commission doesn’t expect to see too steep a drop in the overall catch. >click to read< 09:10

Oregon: Commercial Dungeness crab fishermen reject another offer from processor

Commercial Dungeness crab fishermen declined another offer from Pacific Seafood on Wednesday.,, It’s been three weeks since the commercial Dungeness crab season started. With prices still in question, boats continue to float at the docks. Russell’s Marine Fuel and Supply hasn’t sold fuel to the commercial fleet in two weeks. “Everybody can be off work for a month, but you start getting into month two, month three and you do start seeing that effect,” says operations manager Curtis Green. >click to read< 07:04

California: Dungeness crab fishermen unite during uncertain times

Commercial fishermen from the Half Moon Bay Seafood Marketing Association, the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association and the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association, have come together to broker an agreement that will ensure a safe and orderly start to the commercial Dungeness Crab season in California, once price negotiations are settled. Local groups are coordinating with all California ports,,, >click to read< 07:40

What? No Fresh Oregon Crab? Oregon crab fleet remains in port 2 weeks after open of Dungeness season

The commercial Dungeness crab season, Oregon’s most valuable fishery, opened at 12:01 a.m. on December 16. Two weeks later, the fleet remains tied up in port as crabbers and processors squabble over a price. Both Pacific Seafood and Hallmark Fishers have offered $2.50 per pound. Crabbers started at $3.30 but reduced their offer to $3.20 earlier this week. So far, no deal. And that means: so far, no fresh Oregon Dungeness crab. Crab boat captains have speculated that processors have decreased demand due to restaurant closures,,, >click to read< 17:05

Five Days Into Commercial Dungeness Season, Seafood Buyers, Fishermen Haggle Over Price

Though California’s commercial Dungeness season opened five days ago, Crescent City’s commercial fleet has yet to drop pots as fishermen and buyers haggle over price. Fishermen are asking for $3.25 per pound while Pacific Choice Seafoods, of Eureka, is offering $2.50 per pound, Rick Shepherd, Crescent City Commercial Fisherman’s Association,,, “Pacific Choice has stayed on $2.50 and the boats in Oregon and California have not accepted that offer,” Shepherd said, adding that fishermen continue to negotiate with buyers. >click to read< 07:07

Researchers find new toxin hot spot

As high levels of domoic acid once again delay the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Washington state and along Oregon’s North Coast, researchers say they have zeroed in on a like cause of marine toxin issues farther south. They recently identified a new highly toxic hot spot between California’s Cape Mendocino, several hundred miles north of San Francisco, and Oregon’s Cape Blanco, north of Port Orford, according to a study published this month.  >click to read< 16:04

Oregon: Commercial Dungeness crab season not starting as fishermen hoped

Wednesday signifies the official start of the commercial Dungeness crab season, but it’s not starting out the way fishermen had hoped. This is the day they would normally be pulling crab pots out of the water and getting crab to the processors. But the boats are all still tied to the docks. That’s because market prices are still in question. Two processors have put an offer on the table of $2.50/pound, but Pacific,,, >click to read< 20:39

WDFW: Toxin domoic acid delays commercial Dungeness crab season until at least Jan. 1

The commercial Dungeness crab season opener faces a delay until at least Jan. 1 due to an excess of the marine toxin domoic acid in the guts of sampled crab, the Tri-State management group announced Tuesday evening, Dec. 8. The season had been previously set to start Dec. 16, depending on whether crab reached required minimum meat standards by then.  “This decision was based on domoic acid tests of Dungeness crab collected by WDFW and analyzed by the Washington Department of Health,,, >click to read< 08:31

Extended delay – Commercial Dungeness Crab fishing ban extended until Dec. 16

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife extended the delay of commercial crab fishing Nov. 24 from Point Arena down to Mexico after it spotted whales in crab fishing grounds. Scott Edson fishes in Half Moon Bay and isn’t surprised by the delay extension until Dec. 16. He expects the current delay to last even longer. Edson said the delays are a disaster for commercial fishermen trying to survive during a tough season and a pandemic. Increased delays cost him money in an already limited season,,, >click to read< 08:59

CDFW: Commercial crab season will be delayed due to the presence of whales

The commercial Dungeness crab season in the central management area, which was scheduled to open Sunday, Nov. 15, will be delayed due to the presence of whales within fishing grounds and the potential for entanglement.,, “While no one wants to delay the season, CDFW and the Working Group feel a delay is necessary to reduce the risk of entanglement,”  said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “The fleet has gone to great lengths to be more nimble in order to protect whales and turtles, and the results are promising. This year for the first time in a long time it looks like we don’t have to worry about domoic acid, which is good news.” >click to read< 15:05

Dungeness Crab season’s delay causing instability

Randy Smith stood on the harbor sidewalk talking with a group of fellow fishermen, their large commercial fishing boats – piled high with empty crab traps – swaying at the docks. They had hoped to be fishing by now, but instead are left deciding where to go. Smith’s crew of five had planned to fish in their home waters during the holidays, but with the crabbing season delayed, they’re preparing for two months down south in his boat, the Mistasea.  >click to read< 06:48

California – Commercial Dungeness Crab Season to Close Statewide April 15

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham issued a declaration to close the commercial Dungeness crab fishery statewide at 11:59 p.m. on April 15, 2019 due to increased whale entanglement risk anticipated for the spring and summer months. ,,,, Therefore, the Director has declared that the commercial Dungeness crab fishery will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 15, 2019.  For more information >click to read<10:08

Oregon Crabber: ‘We’ll wait for a better price instead of going out fishing for less of a price’

Local crabbers are once again bracing for a problem they know all too well. The start of the commercial Dungeness crab season is being delayed until December 16 – at the earliest.,, Jeff Sober, a crabber of almost 40 years, said it happens frequently. He is always ready by December – but saves money just case. “We’re just going to be delayed. The season will happen eventually,” he said. “We do have a Christmas market. If we miss out on that, we’ll probably miss out on some money.” >click to read<19:38

28 accidents reported since crab season began off Oregon, Washington

Since the commercial Dungeness crab season began on January 15th, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portland marine investigators have responded to 28 marine accidents involving commercial fishing vessels, with no reported deaths or serious injuries. Since the start of the season, Marine Safety Unit Portland personnel responded to an average of one marine accident per day, causalities included loss of propulsion, loss of steering, loss of power, fire, collisions, grounding and personnel injuries. >click to read< 17:13

Commercial Dungeness Crab Season to Open in Northern California

The northern California Dungeness crab fishery in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties will open 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. The opener will be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period that will begin at 8:01 a.m. Jan. 12, 2018. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham had delayed the season a total of three times after crab quality test results in November and December indicated that crab were not ready for harvesting. Jan. 15 is the latest the Director can delay the season due to quality testing. >click here to read<21:23

Commercial Dungeness Crab Season in Northern California Delayed Due to Crab Quality Testing

Due to poor crab meat quality test results conducted at the beginning of November, the Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has issued a memo delaying the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season in Fish and Game Districts 6, 7, 8 and 9 (Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties) for a minimum of 15 days until Dec. 16, under authority of Fish and Game Code section 8276.2. Crab quality tests ensure that crab are filled out enough prior to harvesting and follow the testing guidelines established by the Tri-State Dungeness Crab Committee that is overseen by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. click here to read the press release 21:15