Tag Archives: Crab
Lifelong Commercial Fisherman Army Veteran Theodore “Ted” Reed Merrell III, of Juneau, has passed away
Theodore “Ted” Reed Merrell III, 76, died at his Fritz Cove home on October 16, 2024 after a long struggle with Progressive Supranuc Palsy (PSP). Ted and Lucy were engaged while Ted was on R&R in Hawaii and after discharge, they were married in Minnesota. They headed to Juneau as soon as Lucy graduated, driving Ted’s hot orange 1970 stick-shift Dodge Charger R/T. Ted soon got his own boat–an open 19-footer –and began a lifelong career in commercial fishing. Other boats followed: Diamondtooth (an ancient wooden gillnetter), Onni (a fast bowpicker with troublesome twin Volvo engines), Invictus, and for most of his career, the 45-foot Dundas. Ted had permits in many fisheries and tried crab, herring, and salmon gillnetting and finally settled into longlining and trolling, often accompanied by his son, Nelson. He fished all over the Northern Panhandle and especially liked downtime with friends in the fishing village, Elfin Cove. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:44
Navigating Alaska’s stormy seas
Norwegian fishermen settled in Petersburg in the 1800s, drawn to its ideal location for pursuing salmon, crab and halibut. Today, hundreds of vessels dock there, selling their catch to the town’s two major processors. These processors head and gut the fish before canning or freezing them for the journey to dinner tables across the world. One of these plants, built over a century ago, is the town’s largest private employer. Few know the industry better than Glorianne Wollen, a fisherman’s daughter who operates a large crab boat and serves as harbourmaster. From her small office, she has witnessed significant change over the years. “In the good old days, the town was alive with discussion,” Wollen recalls. “Everybody had a stake, everybody knew what was going on, and things happened in real-time.” That energy faded as boats grew larger and more efficient, requiring fewer crew members and leading to a more detached industry. Last year, however, the industry faced a crisis that even seasoned veterans struggled to recall. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16;20
Hammond crab fisherman serving jail time for illegal pots
A North Coast man recently found guilty following a 2007 commercial crab enforcement operation off the Oregon Coast began serving his sentence last week in Tillamook County. Dennis Sturgell, 56, of Hammond was lodged in Tillamook County Jail to serve a 30-day sentence after he pleaded guilty in Tillamook County Circuit Court Feb. 6 to two counts of unlawful use of commercial crab pots. Tillamook County Circuit Court Judge Rick Roll handed down a sentence of 30 days and $41,200 in restitution to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commercial Fish Fund. The conviction was the result of a 2007 case when the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division conducted a joint enforcement operation. That was the first year the state of Oregon introduced a limit on the number of commercial crab pots that any one vessel could fish. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:05
Fiercest fisherman roils crabbing world – He has filled boats with crab and fish, and he has kept law enforcement busy. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<
Mud crabbers of King Ash Bay endure harsh lifestyle, extreme weather to catch sought-after seafood
Crocodiles and sharks are just everyday work hazards for Josh Taylor and the other fishermen who battle some of the harshest conditions in Australia to catch one of the nation’s most prized seafoods — mud crabs. Many live in makeshift wooden huts, with no creature comforts, amongst mosquito-infested mangrove swamps in the estuaries around the Gulf of Carpentaria. It may be no surprise then that Mr Taylor is one of just 49 fishers who hold mud crabbing licences in the Northern Territory, and one of just six who drop their pots in the remote King Ash Bay. Despite the hazards, Mr Taylor, who became a commercial mud crabber four years ago, says he enjoys heading out in his boat, catching fish to eat for dinner, and returning to the simple shack he shares with two other fishermen at King Ash Bay. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:11
‘It hasn’t been crab salad weather’ – fisherman
Crabs from Cromer, in Norfolk, have long featured on the menus at high-end restaurants, and tourists head to the town to sample the local delicacy. But one specialist supplier – Jonas Seafoods – has had to reduce the amount of crab it takes in, blaming a double whammy of the bad weather combined with the rise in the cost of living. “It hasn’t been crab salad weather,” said John Davies, a fisherman and fishmonger. “The economy is struggling, we are luxury food item, and the cost of living has a knock-on effect, so prices are going up everywhere,” he added. “There’s just not been the volume of people about.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:49
50 commercial watermen and women help with 10th annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project
The North Carolina Coastal Federation has announced that the 10th year of its Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is wrapping up, and usable, tagged lost gear is ready to be reclaimed. The Coastal Federation said that along the state’s coast, 50 commercial watermen and women collectively spent nearly 150 working days on the water throughout January retrieving lost crab pots from the sounds. An additional part of the project will take place in Marine Patrol District 1 in the northeast region, the nonprofit said. Whole pots, in good condition, recovered from the Albemarle and Pamlico Sound region will be available for the rightful property owners to claim. This includes crab pots retrieved from the Virginia state line and Manteo to Swan Quarter and from the Outer Banks to Ocracoke. more, >>click to read<< 09:25
‘Hurricane Hazel’ shares record-breaking crab-picking skills with next generation
Tucked into the town of Crisfield, you’ll find The Crab Place on Maryland Avenue, and there’s a sort of storm brewing in Somerset County. This is where you’ll meet an extraordinary woman, Hazel Cropper, also known as “Hurricane Hazel.” “I enjoy it, and I know that you can tell that I enjoy picking crabs the most. Out of all my work ethics, it’s always been the crab,” Cropper said. “The first time I saw her pick a crab, I was absolutely amazed,” said Carman Pilkerton, of The Crab Place. It doesn’t get more Maryland than picking crabs. But for those who have picked crabs, they know it isn’t easy. It takes time and precision. video, >click to read< 14:00
New Orleans fishing industry suffers sourcing issues
Fishing runs through Merlin Schaeffer’s blood. He has been fishing in Louisiana waters for decades, and before him, so were his father and his grandfather. While primarily a fisherman in Lake Pontchartrain, Schaeffer is also the owner of Schaeffer’s Seafood. Located in Bucktown, a small community that thrives on the fishing industry, Schaeffer’s is a shop that sells anything from crabs to shrimp to catfish. Because fishing is a touch-and-go job, fishermen often lack routine and certainty when they head out to work, he said. “You gotta go with the flow, around the weather, the bite, the tide, it goes off a lot, the sails,” Schaeffer said. “Everything varies.” This variance includes prices as well. >click to read< 11:30
Sustainable fishing off the coast of SoCal
For Ben Hyman, fishing along the California coast is a way of life. He’s been a commercial fisherman for 25 years. “I’ve always been addicted to fishing and loved fishing and grew up surfing, and for a lot of us, it’s just a natural evolution to start wanting to be on the boat and start fishing more,” Hyman said. He opened his own business, the Wild Local Seafood Co., 25 years ago and focuses on selling locally caught seafood such as salmon, halibut, ahi, crab and much more. Video, >click to watch/read< 16:57
After a yearlong closure, Tanner crab season makes a comeback off Kodiak Island
Dave Kubiak spent a recent rainy Thursday stacking the deck of his boat, the Laura Lee, with crab pots in preparation for Kodiak’s Tanner crab season. According to him, the night before the season is always exciting. “We’ll leave in sufficient time to get there and to go someplace and anchor up,” he said. “And then wait for the morning and then run out and get all nervous and jittery on the opener, which is silly, but we do.” Kubiak said that he got a nickel per pound for Tanner crabs back in the 60s. Due to low supply and high demand across the country, prices for this season, which opens Jan. 15, are much higher,,, >click to read< 09:20
Premium prices no problem for shrimp, crab, lobster consumers
Global supply chain issues are affecting supplies of some crustaceans sold in US grocery stores, and driving some prices up, but consumers seem willing to pay extra for their “must have” shrimp, crab, lobster and other products. “Red king crab availability is very tight, so look for more snow crab or even golden king crab in its place,” Shrimp is far and away the best-selling seafood item in the United States, and Amdahl doesn’t see that changing anytime soon.,, Despite the logistics headaches that are slowing shipments of foods worldwide, US retailers can expect to have volumes of a variety of crustacean products from Norwegian fisheries,,, >click to read< 10:38
Local man takes pride in delivering fresh seafood to our people
Blake Baudoin operates Baudouin Seafood with his wife Beth. Together, the family offers crabs, crawfish and shrimp seasonally to both wholesale distributors and also to members of the community. The work isn’t easy. But Blake Baudoin said it’s a passion, and that there’s no better feeling than delivering a fruitful catch to a satisfied customer. He said he believes he’s a good trapper because of the passion he has for doing the best for his customers. “I’d say I’m good at my work because I’m dedicated, a very hard worker and I never give up,” Baudoin said. “But most of all, I love what I do.” >click to read< 08:47
‘We won’: Clearwater Seafoods deal gives Mi’kmaq control of lucrative ocean stretch
Early this week, leaders of the Membertou and Miawpukek First Nations, both of which are Mi’kmaq communities, reached an agreement to buy Nova Scotia-based Clearwater Seafoods in a deal worth C$1bn (£580m). Heralded as the “single largest investment in the seafood industry by any Indigenous group in Canada”, the landmark deal comes at a critical moment for Indigenous communities in the region, as tensions remain high over their treatied fishing rights. >click to read< 15:48
Bering Sea Crab harvests set: Kings still in decline, snow and Tanner see bump
Commercial fishermen will be allowed to harvest a total of 45 million pounds of snow crab from the Bering Sea waters this year, with 4.5 million of that set aside for Community Development Quota groups and the rest for individual fishing quota, or IFQ, holders. That’s about 34 percent larger than the limit last season, which was also an increase over the previous year. Bering Sea Crabbers Association Executive Director Jamie Goen said that’s good news for the fleet. However, members of the fleet also think that TAC could have been a lot higher had the National Marine Fisheries Service been able to conduct its regular surveys. >click to read< 08:29
Western Australia’s Crystal crabs immune to impact of coronavirus, selling for more than $300
The crabs are found in a thin trench of water, 80 kilometres off the Western Australia coast, at depths of 800 metres. West Coast Deep Sea Fishery takes to the pristine deep waters all year round in search of the product. Managing director Glen Bosman said he believed he had the best crystal crabs in the world. “Not arguably, it’s fact. We receive the highest price for that species of crab,” he said. The crystal crab is pale white in colour, with distinctly shorter walking legs, and can weigh more than two kilograms. “The crab sits in the middle of the table, is broken up, and then shared by a number or people because of its size. >click to read< 09:55
Lady Sophie – Focus on shellfish
Made to harvest for shellfish for Grimsby company Fastline Shellfish, Lady Sophie has been built in Padstow to a new 12 metre design. Owners Fastline Shellfish are a family-owned business that has bee trading on the Grimsby docks since 2009, although the Kenyon family’s roots in the fishing industry go back a long way. Aiming to supply top-quality fresh shellfish, the focus is on cutting short the supply chain by catching its own crabs, lobsters and whelks, which are processed and supplied through the Fastline shop. video, photo’s, >click to read< 09:42
Seafood Connect! Maine Fishermen hold events to get products direct to customers
It’s first come, first served this weekend at Maine’s Working Waterfront – Seafood Connect event. In the midst of everything happening in the world, the local fishing community has been hit hard. This event will feature fresh seafood at an “off the boat” price. Any fisherman who is legal to sell is welcome. No preorders. Fishermen will decide what/if they are selling each week. As of May 4, the group will be switching from the Rockland location to the Reny’s in Camden. Bring bags to take your seafood home. Names, phone numbers, locations, product diversity! >click to read< 09:21
Crab-price talks set to continue Saturday – processors initially pushed for an open ticket
A fleet leader said Friday night that “We have only one price offer on the coast of $2.75. Fishermen will be continuing talks tomorrow [Saturday] with hopes the processors will come out with a more realistic price offer under current market conditions.” Crabbers are urging an opening price of $3.25, while processors initially pushed for an open ticket, meaning they could pay whatever they determine to be appropriate after crab are delivered. In Northern California, where the season opened on Dec. 15,,, >click to read< 10:09
Rope free traps? Company studies ways for fishing nets and whales to coexist.
“It’s promising and many people are asking why we don’t use it right away — but it’s still in the scientific testing phase, with tests being done in the water and it has not yet been adapted for commercial fishing,” Cormier explained. In some trials, the buoy took up to 30 minutes to surface; in other cases it never surfaced. “There is still work to be done as far as the reliability of the equipment,” he said. “We don’t want to create another problem, that of ghost fishing.” >click to read< 09:49
Refusing to Leave! St. Bernard fisherman in Washington, DC to make their case for millions in federal aid
Fishermen and elected leaders from St. Bernard Parish are refusing to leave Washington, DC without $150 million in federal disaster aid, funded through a federal fisheries disaster declaration. They say repeat openings of the Bonnet Carre spillway has flooded the coast with fresh water that seafood cannot tolerate. St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis said the openings are destroying the $4 billion regional seafood industry and the money would be used to subsidize fishermen, repair fishing grounds and coastal waters. >click to read< 08:35
PETA is coming after Baltimore’s beloved crab
The animal rights group selected the local crustacean as the mascot for its latest pro-vegan campaign. A billboard in Baltimore pictures a crab with the words, “I’m me, not meat. See the individual. Go vegan.” Danielle Ohl, a reporter for the Capital Gazette, tweeted a picture of the billboard Thursday, and it set off some strong reactions. Locals took to Twitter to share their reactions to the billboard that was erected yesterday on the corner of East Baltimore Street near the Shot Tower. Jimmy’s Famous Seafood chimed in, too. “I thought it was fake, honestly,” said Tony Minadakis, owner of the restaurant. “I was shocked. It was pretty tone-deaf.”>click to read<08:58
California State legislators to meet in Eureka to discuss future of crab, salmon fisheries
With the California crab season opener approaching and a poor salmon season winding down, a California legislative committee is set to meet in Eureka on Friday to discuss what the future holds for two of the North Coast’s most important fisheries. The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture hearing is set to touch upon everything from whale entanglements in crab gear and the recent lawsuit filed related to them; the potential for a federal disaster declaration for California’s and Oregon’s 2017 salmon season; and crab fishing rules and recent test results on how toxic algae blooms are affecting crab this year. click here to read the story 09:02
St. Anthony harvesters told they can’t keep their crab
Frustrated crab fishermen gathered outside the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) office in St. Anthony early Wednesday morning. While the crab fishery officially ended on July 30, many harvesters left their final pots of the season in the water until now because of rough weather conditions. Late Tuesday evening, however, fishermen received calls that due to the delay in taking up their pots, any crab caught would have to be thrown back in the ocean. It was the cause of mass frustration that sent over 18 harvesters outside the DFO office the following morning.,,“They’re saying we got to throw away the crab, the crab that were starving for,” said Alyward. “Everybody out there got a couple thousand dollars of bait in those pots, and now we have to throw it all away. It’s pretty sick, that’s what I call that.” click here to read the story 09:10
Newfoundland and Labrador Fishermen don’t agree that crab, shrimp stocks are as bad as scientists say
The province’s fishery appears to be on the brink of a sea change. News over the past couple of months of continually declining snow crab and northern shrimp stocks in waters off Newfoundland and Labrador’s coasts have sent waves of concern washing over the fishing industry. The expected cuts this spring to crab and shrimp quotas have fisherman all around the province on edge. And there’s little else to fill in the gap — the northern cod stocks, while showing signs of strong growth in recent years, are still not ready for a major commercial fishing effort. Lying in the balance are huge investments in vessels and fishing gear, work for boat crews and plants, and the survival of rural areas of the province. But while scientific stock assessments of crab and shrimp reveal a dismal picture, many fishermen are not so sure that picture is accurate. In fact, many say they are seeing things a bit differently out on the water, and see some hope for the fishery of the future if fishermen are willing to branch out into other potential commercial species. click here to read the story 08:50
Louisiana Regulators to Close Blue Crab Fishery for Thirty Days
Crabbing in Louisiana comes to an abrupt halt Sunday night when a state imposed 30-day prohibition goes into effect. In an effort to protect against over-harvesting Louisiana’s crab population, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is shutting it down for a month. Many crab fishermen fear for their livelihood. “Six to eight weeks of no paychecks from crabbing,” said crabber Alvin Royes.”Maybe more depending on the weather. Traps have to be in by midnight Sunday night.” For about 1,500 Louisiana crabbers, that’s it in a nutshell. All crab traps are being picked up and stacked. Sunday night, crab fishermen will be out of work for a while. The 30-day prohibition is not a surprise to Louisiana crab fishermen, even if it is to a lot of other people. Last year, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries determined too many crabs were being harvested and the crab population was getting low. New regulations were instituted including restrictions on the harvest of immature female blue crabs and the 30-day ban on crabbing, beginning the third Monday in February of 2017, 2018 and 2019. Continue reading the article here 11:52
Central Coast Crab fishermen making sacrifices to protect whales
It’s been a rough season for crab fishermen after a domoic acid outbreak kept them out of the water for months. And now that they’re finally allowed to fish, many are choosing to wrap-up early in an effort to protect whales in the Monterey Bay. It’s feeding time for humpback whales but because of the delay in crab season, whales are getting caught in fishing gear that’s normally not in the water this time of year. That’s why crab fisherman, ocean advocacy groups and governmental agencies are teaming up to prevent whale entanglements in the Monterey Bay. “We’re doing everything we can to reduce entanglements and working with the environmental groups and whale disentanglement teams to alter our gear types and ways we fish to reduce entanglements,” said commercial fisherman Walter Deyerle. Read the rest here 18:03
Crab season: West Coast Fishermen scrambling to pay bills
This was supposed to be the winter Braeden Breton finally realized his dream of running his own crab fishing boat. After putting down $7,500 in April toward a commercial permit, he was counting on earning enough money as a deckhand this fall to pay off the rest and begin setting his own traps after the new year. Now the indefinite postponement of the commercial Dungeness crab season has thrown that plan into disarray. Like hundreds of other fishermen in the Bay Area, Breton finds himself scrambling to pay the bills. Read the rest here 10:36
Divide between Newfoundland’s crab fishers, diners is hard to swallow
Fishermen have been valued members of society since at least the time of the apostle Peter, a fisherman (and fisher of men) who is still the rock of the Catholic Church. Take Newfoundlander Tony Doyle, the vice-president of the , as well as a grandfather of three and survivor of the infamous 1992 cod moratorium. He’s a really great guy – and he’s getting ripped off by the Canadian government. Read the rest here The writer was doing pretty good ’till he used the chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall thing! 18:49
Terry McAuliffe says all Maryland crabs are born in Virginia
Maryland crabs, Maryland crab cakes, Maryland crab soup…Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe says it’s all a sham. “You know, Maryland talks about its crabs,” McAuliffe said with a chuckle during a July 21 radio interview. “If anyone from Maryland is listening, I want to make this perfectly clear: All the crabs are born here in Virginia and they end up, because of the current, being taken (to Maryland). So really, they should be Virginia crabs.” No such thing as a Maryland-born crab? Let’s crack this claim open. Read the rest here 12:10
Mississippi: Commercial fishing license renewal begins Tuesday
BILOXI, Miss.— The state will begin renewing commercial fishing licenses Tuesday and selling new commercial licenses starting April 15. Commercial fishermen who live in Mississippi can purchase licenses to catch shrimp, crab, fish, oysters and live bait, as well as business licenses for dealers and processors. The fees for Mississippi residents range from $10 to $500, and some fishermen require more than one license. Fees for out-of-state residents vary. Read more here 08:57
