Tag Archives: Dungeness crabbers
Will pop-up crab pots save Bodega Bay’s crabbing industry?
For nearly five years, Dungeness crabbers have watched their incomes diminish by up to 80% as the California Fish and Game Commission mandated seasonal closures, catch limits, and gear restrictions. The situation, as many crabbers attest, has driven many to their breaking points. “There’s people thinking, why even live?” said Tony Anello, fisher and owner of Spud Point Crab Company in Bodega Bay. Much contributes to the financial and emotional strain on the fishing community: the closure of salmon season, shortened and restricted Dungeness crab seasons, devalued boats, gear and permits, and, as existential background noise, the continued menace of climate change portending rising seas, extreme weather and a warming ocean. Dungeness crab populations do fluctuate from season to season, but, overall, the population has remained steady. The problem for crabbers isn’t crabs. It’s whales. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:50
Dungeness crabbers worry sensationalized domoic acid headlines will scare away demand
As Dungeness crabbers in California, Oregon and Washington continue to wait for domoic acid to drop to safe levels so they can begin the already-delayed crabbing season, some fear that falling consumer confidence might impact this season’s prices. According to an executive at a wholesale company who wished to remain anonymous, (source A), despite having “plenty of inventory” to hold them over as the company waits for the fishery to open, “bad press has lowered demand…irresponsible reporting of media on domoic acid has damaged our markets”. Read the article here 14:06
