Tag Archives: crab fishermen

What makes Dungeness Crab Unique

Named after the town of Dungeness, Washington where people first began fishing for these crustaceans in the 1800s, Dungeness crab meat is prized by chefs and seafood connoisseurs alike for its subtle sweetness, and flaky, delicate texture. It’s easy to get lost in the moment when you’re biting into a chunk of delectable Dungeness crab meat. Still, it’s worth pausing to express gratitude toward the crab fishermen (and women) who caught that meal for you. This article covers a lot about these crabs, and you’ll know about a wide variety of crab from Dungeness to King Crab. Dungeness vs. Snow Crab, vs. Stone Crab, Photos, and more, >>click to read<< 16:50

Alaska salmon fishermen fume over low prices, but processors say they’re hurting too

Aboard the F/V Five Star, his boat, Danielson and his deckhand put away as many pounds of fish as they could. They had no breakdowns. But his seafood processor is paying him 70 cents per pound for his salmon, half of last year’s price which means that instead of his usual six-figure haul for a summer of hard work, he might only break even, or go home to his family in Washington with $10,000, if he’s lucky. He added: “We’re up against something that’s out of our control, and that’s the processors killing us here.” In the past few weeks, thousands of fishermen across the state have found themselves in a similar predicament,,, Photos, >click to read< 08:52

After tentative crab deal falls apart, fishermen settle in to wait for a better price

St. John’s crab fisherman Keith Boland said he and his fellow harvesters won’t accept a deal that sticks to $2.20 per pound, as decided by the provincial price-setting panel. “The $2.20 is still the major issue, and it will be, time going forward,” he said. On Friday, Fish Food & Allied Workers president Greg Pretty said a tentative deal had been reached with the Association of Seafood Producers: the $2.20 price would be locked in for the season, rather than the association requesting a lower price if the market continues to decline. But to prevent a glut of crab arriving at plants for processing, the deal would also include trip limits, with monetary penalties for fisherman who catch more than the trip limit. Calling it a union “slush fund,” Boland said fishermen won’t accept that. >click to read< 09:45

Crab Fishermen stay in boats on the north coast

Unsatisfied with the prices offered to them by the mill owners, most of the crab fishermen in 16 areas on the north shore did not go to sea on Saturday when fishing began in their field. 39 owners of 54 fishing licenses in Area 16 feel hurt by the temporary price of $2.25 per pound offered by the mills and accepted by fishermen in other parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec. According to these fishermen, the only people in the province to group around the marketing group are not honoring the price formula that allows processors to get more than $2.25 a pound. According to their representative Jean-René Boucher, all factories in the province, including the six located on the north coast, have been issued with a watchword by the Fishing Industry Association not to accept crabs from area 16. >click to read< 10:38

Crab fishermen weather a bruising season

It was a dream season for Oregon’s Dungeness crab fishery last year. Fishing began on the traditional Dec. 1 opener for the first time in years. Domoic acid, a marine toxin that has hampered the valuable commercial fishery time and again in recent years, was almost nowhere to be seen in Oregon or Washington state waters. “Last season, everything that could go right went right,” said Tim Novotny, executive director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. “And this year — I don’t know if it’s been completely the opposite, but it’s been close.” >click to read< 07:22

The Deadliest Catch and Other Crab Fishermen Need to Find a New Alaskan Spot Thanks to Climate Change

Even if you’ve only been a fan of Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” for a short period of time, it’s still pretty obvious that the list of essential steps needed for the featured captains and boats to rake in a season’s worth of seafood remains consistent. On top of a meticulously maintained boat, needed are traps, bait, backup equipment, a solid crew, and more than a handful of other necessities. Of course, the most important detail is the one thing these brave fishermen are there for in the first place, and that’s the crab itself. However, due to climate change, the fishing industry on the Bering Sea has been flipped on its head. >click to read< 11:31

Local crab fishermen face challenges with late start to season

The commercial crabbing industry has been hit especially hard this year.  The California Department of Fish and Wildlife delayed the season three times already because of humpback whales in the area. It’s been a long wait for local crabbers desperate for some much-needed revenue. Every crab pot is checked and readjusted as Captain Matt Juanes does some early preparation for opening day. Multiple delays mean no income since salmon season ended months ago. “We’re dying on the vine. If it’s not salmon, it’s crab. We’re hit from all sides,” said fisherman Brand Little, the captain and owner of salmon and crabbing boat the Pale Horse.  Video,>click to read< 11:58

Faced with crashing crab stocks, council looks to swiftly analyze closures and trawl impacts

As crab fishermen face a dire season in Western Alaska this year, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is looking for quick analysis and the fleet is looking for more extensive closures to protect some crab stocks. Survey data has shown an approximately 90% drop in snow crab stocks since the last survey, pushing acceptable catch limits down, while the long-term decline of Bristol Bay red king crab has led to a complete closure in the fishery for the first time since 1994. The Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Association, the trade group that represents the majority of crab harvesters in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands rationalization program, has estimated a $200 million loss for the fishery. >click to read< 11:12

Deadliest Catch Captain Keith Colburn: “It’s a shitty job”

Deadliest Catch is already in its 15th year. The reality series about the crab fishermen on the Bering Sea near Alaska is still very popular. One of the protagonists in the Discovery series is Keith Colburn. The captain was one of the first to go to Alaska with nothing and 30 years later owns one of the largest ships: F/V Wizard.,, He can’t fish right now, because he is still struggling with the consequences of the coronavirus.  “It was especially weird, “Despite corona, there was still a danger that we know all too well from the other seasons of Deadliest Catch: the sea. A huge wave hit The Wizard, damaging the iconic ship. photos, video, >click to read< 14:50

‘Deadliest Catch’ Captain Hospitalized

Captain Keith Colburn has been hospitalized with Coronavirus. Colburn announced in a video posted from his hospital room that he’d had the virus for at least 20 days. He maintains he went 10 days without needing any medication while he self-quarantined, but he still wound up needing to seek medical attention. While the virus has worked its way out of Colburn’s system, he claims he’s still dealing with its after-effects. He’s now battling a case of pneumonia as a result of his coronavirus diagnosis that’s left him in the hospital for the last eight days. Andy Hillstrand was another cast member to contract the virus,  Video, >click to read< 17:44

Fishermen accused of poaching in a Marine Reserve using gear stolen from fellow crabbers

Two North Coast fishermen face criminal charges after allegedly poaching crab in the protected Cape Falcon Marine Reserve using gear stolen from fellow crabbers. Scott Edward Giles, 39, most recently of Ilwaco, Washington, and deckhand Travis Richard Westerlund, 34, of Astoria, face multiple criminal charges, including theft, criminal mischief, unlawful take and fishing in a prohibited area, following an indictment in August.  Given the amount of stolen gear found in his possession, Giles, the captain of the commercial fishing vessel The Baranof, faces felony theft charges. The pots were marked with a variety of paint colors, leading investigators to conclude they had been stolen from other fishermen. The pots were later tracked back to seven different commercial crabbers between Astoria and Newport.,, >click to read< 17:10

Ship Conducting Undersea Surveys Ordered to Pause Work Following Conflict With Local Crab Fishermen

After successfully requesting a cease-and-desist order from the California State Lands Commission, local crab fishermen will be able to finish out the last few days of the season without worrying about conflicts with a ship that was conducting surveys off the North Coast. The survey work appears to be connected with proposals for high-speed, transpacific fiber-optic cables linking Southeast Asia to the United States. Cable companies have expressed interest in landing a trunk line stateside via the Harbor District’s wastewater discharge pipe, which runs from the Redwood Marine Terminal II (site of the old pulp mill) out to sea. Ken Bates, vice-president of the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association,,, >click to read< 20:45

California: Fewer Whales Entangled As Crab Fishermen Face Financial Struggle

Crab fishers are frustrated by recent closures, and CDFW is working with stakeholders and fishermen to come up with an economic plan that can help fishers deal with the changing industry. “We are seeing that the closures affect smaller operators disproportionately,”,,, Dick Ogg is a commercial fisherman out of Bodega Bay, California. His single-boat company is considered a medium-sized operation in the area because he catches many species. In addition to crabbing, Ogg shifts with the seasons to fish salmon, black cod, and albacore as well. This allows him to have income throughout the year. He humbly calls himself a “newbie”, having only been a commercial fisherman for 21 years. >click to read< 07:05

3 crab fishermen survive harrowing capsize off Oregon coast

Three men were in good condition early Wednesday after being cut from inside the hull of a capsized crab boat off the Oregon coast. Their harrowing rescue was caught on video the night before. The 38-foot Pacific Miner was flipped upside-down by large waves,, Rescuers could not see the men inside the capsized boat and given the ship’s condition, rescuers searched for bodies in the water for more than an hour before a firefighter checked the boat itself. He heard survivors pounding on the hull from the inside, said Rob Gensorek,,, Video, >click to read< 08:55

Crab fishermen hope new season won’t have same roadblocks. Next big hurdle is to negotiate commercial prices

Crabbers anticipate being able to set up their gear on Dec. 28 with an official start date just days later. But the fishermen still need to finish negotiating this year’s market prices — a process that could indefinitely delay the season’s start if it doesn’t move quickly. It’s illegal in California to sell crabs commercially without a set market price. “We’re definitely worried,” said fisherman Scott Creps. “We’re hoping to get everything worked out and get a full season this year.” >click to read< 07:22

Crab fishermen fined, protest against crab fishing policy proves costly

Five Northern Peninsula crab fishermen have received their sentencing after being found guilty of charges relating to a 2017 incident off of Port au Choix. In provincial court in Port au Choix on Sept. 19, the five men were ordered to pay various fines, totaling $16,000.,,, The charges stemmed from an incident on May 8, 2017, when the five Area 4R crab harvesters took their boats off the shores of Port au Choix and laid down their pots in Area 13 — where they were not permitted to do so. >click to read<  21:42

A return to sea – Crab fishermen thread storms to bring home the catch

The anticipation of pain is often worse than the pain itself. I should know this; I’ve been here before. Working for Tony Pettis and other Newport crab skippers for over a decade, I’ve had plenty of chances to listen to the howl of wind and marinate in my own anxious brine, full of questions — the chief ones being, “are we really going to leave into this weather, and can I keep my lunch down?” I should have had enough practice in just letting things be, but it’s hard. >click to read<16:37

Ottawa considers help for Gulf of St. Lawrence fisheries after right whale protection measures

“At the moment we are not talking about compensating with actual financial compensation the fishermen,” LeBlanc said in a telephone interview. New Brunswick Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet called Monday for measures to address lost revenue, and LeBlanc said that is “entirely consistent” with his department’s approach to the developing situation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. LeBlanc said it includes looking at ways to help processing plant workers qualify for Employment Insurance, and a possible fall opening of the lobster fishery to make up for lost days. >click to read<Meanwhile, Lobster and crab fishermen in Quebec ‘out of options’ as more zones closed off – “I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this one,”  said O’Neil Cloutier, the general manager of the professional fishermen’s association of southern Gaspé. >click to read<19:39

‘Everybody’s losing’: Crab fishermen prepare for more closures this week

With nine more fishing areas to close this week as endangered whales arrive in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, New Brunswick snow crab fishermen are braced for a turbulent season. “We don’t know what’s going to happen today, tomorrow and for the coming days,” said Jean Lanteigne, general manager of the Regional Federation of Professional Fishermen, based in Shippagan. On Wednesday at 4 p.m., nine more “grids” or portions of grids will close to protect North Atlantic right whales from getting tangled up in fishing gear. That number is in addition to the six that closed last week. “It’s impossible to fish in there,” said Lanteigne. >click to read<18:01

Beyond Deadliest Catch: The Fisherman in Pursuit of One of the World’s Great Delicacies

Dan Jansen had been awake for about a day and a half on his first-ever trip as captain of a crab-fishing boat way back in 1986. When there was finally a lull, Jansen left the wheelhouse to get some rest. His eyes hadn’t been shut for more than 15 minutes when he heard what sounded like an explosion. In the time it took for his feet to swivel from his bunk to the floor, Jansen’s stateroom had filled up with more than a foot of water. click here to read the story 10:46

Strike Update – Crab fishermen stand strong, hold out for Pacific Seafoods pre-negotiated price

Commercial crab fishermen continue to strike along the West Coast, hoping processors will pay the $3 opening price that was negotiated prior to the season opening. Instead, wholesale buyers and processors have not budged on the $2.75 per pound they are now offering. The $3 per pound price was negotiated prior to the Brookings and Port Orford crab opening on Dec. 18. The price was lowered on Dec. 26, just eight days after that partial opening of the fishery. In response, crab fishermen from Morro Bay, Calif., to the Canadian border have tied up their boats. One local processor is Bandon Pacific in Charleston, a division of Pacific Seafood, which owns and operates more than 38 processing and distribution facilities from Alaska to Texas, with many of them on the West coast in coastal communities throughout the Pacific region. John Corbin, president of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, and a fisherman who lives in Seaside and fishes the Columbia River, said there has been “really no change” since fishermen decided to strike. Corbin said fishermen all along the coast in different ports have been meeting daily via phone conference, but processors have not met with them. Read the story here 10:51

Crab fishermen strike for higher price per-pound from Bodega Bay north through Oregon and Washington

Crabbers from Bodega Bay north through Oregon and Washington to the Canadian border went on strike Wednesday afternoon after wholesale Dungeness crab buyers sought to lower the per-pound price fishermen earn for the much sought-after crustacean. Fishermen have agreed to either cease crabbing in areas off the Sonoma Coast where the Dungeness crab season has already opened, or delay the start of their season in hopes of retaining the $3-per-pound price they have earned fishing in Northern California’s rich waters so far this year, according to Lorne Edwards, president of the Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Marketing Association, an industry trade group. Read the rest of the story here 07:48

Currituck County debates ordinance change that could save the local crabbing industry

Crab fishermen are seeking a change in the law so they can operate legally in Currituck County even while neighbors complain of clutter, noises and smells. The change would solve an old problem for the county, where crab fishing is a mainstay and crab pots with plastic floats dot the rural waters. Common as it is, county ordinances have never accounted for the way most crab fishermen operate out of their homes, sometimes in small subdivisions with neighbors close by. Mostly it happens under the radar, with county inspectors opting not to cite watermen unless there are complaints. But in April, inspectors visited Wayne Burch’s growing crabbing business near Tulls Bay, south of Moyock. Someone had complained, and the inspectors cited Burch for violating 11 standards of the home business ordinance including outdoor storage, retail sales from the premises and creating traffic, noise and odor. In response, Burch’s friend, business partner and next door neighbor, Lauren Berry, began working with county staff on an ordinance amendment to make it legal for backyard crabbers to operate the way they always have. “Our current zoning laws do not allow for our heritage,” Berry said. “This is an industry we should protect.” Read the story here 13:47

Dear Editor: Crab fishermen continue to suffer- Patti Grant, El Granada

106200_webThe most recent crab testing still shows unsafe levels of domoic acid. For fishing to resume, levels need to be lower in the next three weekly tests; only then will the California Department of Fish and Game deem this seafood safe to eat. When that happens, commercial fishermen still won’t be able to fish because sport fishermen have always been given at least one week to fish before allowing the commercial boats to go out. The proposed mid-February opening date for commercial crabbing will now most likely be early March. Read the letter here 15:04

Disaster loans opened to California’s Dungeness crab fishermen, businesses

crab loans sbaThe U.S. Small Business Administration announced that low-interest disaster loans are now available to commercial anglers and other businesses affected by the continued closure, which stems from a potentially deadly neurotoxin affecting the fishery. The loans, which max out at $2 million, with 4 percent interest, are the first significant help extended to crabbers, seafood processors and others who have been economically devastated by the foregone season. California crab landings are usually worth about $60 million a year or more.,, It does not appear that deckhands, who often work as contracted employees, would qualify for the business loans. Those workers comprise a group that is among the most desperate amid the crab closure. Read the rest here 06:54

Federal Government May Offer Help To Local Crab Fishermen

Local fishermen who may have suffered economic losses due to the recent restrictions on commercial and recreational Dungeness and Rock crab fishing may receive financial help from the federal government. The Small Business Administration wants to hear from anyone who believes they suffered financial losses.,, The SBA will look at the feedback and determine if the impacts were enough to meet disaster loan criteria. If it does, any business or entity impacted by the closure could qualify for low-interest loans. SBA officials are only gathering information at this point. Read the rest here 07:38

Crab fishermen look to black cod for New Year’s boost

With the crab season shut down since before its November start, there may be another fish in the sea to help the crabbers start 2016 off right: black cod. “Everybody’s going to be fishing black cod now, and there’s only so much quota of black cod to be caught,” Moss Landing fisherman Roger Whitney said. Most local crab fishermen said they’ve never fished for black cod before. But black cod fishermen who call the fish their staple are worried it’s going to have a domino effect on their catch. Read the article here 20:58

Dungeness crab season delays hit Santa Cruz fishermen hard

Crab fisherman Stan BrunoCrab fishermen were busy scraping last year’s crust of debris from marker buoys, replacing ID tags on old crab pots and getting new pots ready last week in preparation for the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season, despite uncertainty over when it will begin. “We have to get ready as if nothing’s changed,” said fisherman Will Collins. “And just stand by until it’s ready to go.” “I don’t see it opening till the first of the year,” said Stan Bruno, commercial fisherman and captain of The Grinder, based in Santa Cruz. “The levels are that high.” Read the rest here 11:56

Crab Fishermen Trained as ‘First Responders’ for Entangled Whales

Crab-fishermenCrab season means more Dungeness crab on Bay Area menus, but it could also mean more injured whales. The cetaceans get entangled in crab trap lines, which is why the federal government is teaching crabbers to become first responders. Geoff Bettencourt is a fourth-generation fisherman. From his boat, The Moriah Lee, he points to an area in Half Moon Bay. “The whales have been so thick in here. Like close, where they’ve never ever been,” says Bettencourt. Listen, and read the rest here 20:26

Crab fishermen have negotiated a $3 per pound for wholesale crab to start West Coast Dungeness Season

The kickoff at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning occurred amid choppy waves and windy weather, making it the first of many safety dilemmas to come for fishermen. The usual risks inherent in crab fishing are compounded this year by a lack of information. A weather buoy 20 miles out of Pillar Point Harbor has been malfunctioning for months, leaving boaters reliant on weather data drawn from up near San Francisco. more@hmbreview  13:08