Last Areas in Washington Will Open for Dungeness Soon

As Dungeness crab seasons go, this one has seen progressive openings along the West Coast that has kept crab in the marketplace but also created a convoluted overlay of regulatory boundaries, especially in Washington.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that the coastal Dungeness crab fishery will open from Klipsan Beach, Wash., to the US/Canada border, including Grays Harbor to state crabbers on February 11, 2025. Special Management Areas, ...

Crabbers Keep Grinding on Dungeness Season as Weather Stays Mostly Clear

While stormy weather affected Dungeness crab quality and biotoxin testing in December on the U.S. West Coast, January’s seas have enabled more fishermen to get out on the water.

Oregon’s season south of Cape Falcon, which opened in mid-December, has wound down in some areas, especially those south of Newport, with a few fishermen reporting a significant drop in the number of crab per pot.

Meanwhile, crabbers north of Cape Falcon in Oregon and southern Washington have been fishing for less than two full weeks...

Washington Hits the Magic Number to Open Dungeness Fishery

At long last, the Dungeness crab off Long Beach in Washington tested full enough to open the fishery north of Cape Falcon.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday that Oregon's commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open Jan. 15 from Cape Falcon, on the northern Oregon Coast, to Klipsan Beach, Washington. A fourth round of preseason testing in Long Beach, Wash., shows crab quality at 24.3%, which is above the 23% necessary to open the season. In other words, it meets the optimal commercial harvest ...

Oregon Crabbers Start Delivering Dungeness to Processors

This year’s Dungeness crab season is already one for the record books, even though the season opened only two days ago. The opening ex-vessel price, according to fishermen, is higher than last year’s average price.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, last year’s average price was $3.79 per pound. Fishermen said an agreement reached with at least one of the processors was $4.50 per pound.

Last year’s season was the second-highest on record for Oregon in terms of value, at $93.6 million...

Signs Point to December Dungeness Season for Parts of West Coast

It’s almost time to start crackin’! Recent testing shows crab in Oregon are ready to harvest and domoic acid levels are all well below the safety threshold for starting the season.

Oregon crabbers talked with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fishery managers Thursday and said afterward that most everyone agreed to a Dec. 16 opening between the California border and Cape Falcon on the North Coast.

Crab from Long Beach, Washington, have not fully filled out with meat yet, according to recent tests. At 19.9%, the ,,,

Domoic Acid, Meat Recovery Delays Oregon Crab Season

As if some seriously stormy ocean weather wasn't enough, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday a delay in the primary commercial Dungeness crab season off Oregon until at least Dec. 16.

Pre-season testing showed Dungeness crabs are too low in meat yield in some ocean areas and have elevated domoic acid levels in crab viscera in two areas on the South Coast.

Viscera from two crab in Area K, Cape Blanco to Gold Beach, landed on Nov. 16, showed levels of 38 and 39 parts ...

Commercial Bay Crabbing Closure in Southern Oregon Clouds Ocean Crab Season Opening

Oregon agencies announced Thursday that bay crabbing is closed from Cape Blanco, near Port Orford, to the California border due to biotoxin levels above the safety threshold.

The Oregon Departments of Agriculture and Fish and Wildlife said domoic acid levels in Dungeness crab viscera exceeded the levels of safety. The closure also affects recreational fisheries and applies to both Dungeness and red rock crab harvested from bays and estuaries.

Commercial bay crab fisheries are relatively small in volume compared to ocean fisheries, but the ...

Washington Looks to Update Dungeness Crab Policy to Address Entanglements, Climate Change

As part of the three West Coast states’ efforts to further limit potential entanglements and more easily identify entangled whales, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is updating its policies related to crabbing.

The public is invited to review and submit comments on the draft Coastal Dungeness Crab policy through Oct. 15. 

Dungeness crabs support Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery, as well as popular recreational fisheries. The value of state landings for the 2023-24 coastal commercial Dungeness crab season was $66.8 million, according to ...

Another West Coast Whale Entanglement Reported; States Prepare for Rule Changes

Another humpback whale off Southern Oregon was reported last week, entangled in commercial crab gear from different states, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a fleet advisory notice.

It was the third humpback entanglement attributed by the National Marine Fisheries Service to Oregon commercial crab gear this year.

“Researchers have observed aggregations of humpback whales, primarily in around 55-70 fathoms (100-130 m), but with some whales closer to shore. Blue whales were also observed in waters shallower than 70 fathoms,” the notice ...

Crabfest May Be Back At Red Lobster, But It’s Not The Same As Years Past

Even a bankruptcy filing can’t stop Red Lobster from bringing back Crabfest. The financially embroiled restaurant chain — with the help of rapper and reality TV star Flavor Flav — used the guest-favorite dining event to remind fans that despite the Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they can still enjoy seafood from their local Red Lobster. But this isn’t the same Crabfest as years past.

Red Lobster is known for its limited time promotional events, from Lobsterfest to Summerfest and...

Spring, Summer Dungeness Fisheries Face Closures, Restrictions to Reduce Entanglement Risk

In a little more than a week, most of California will close to Dungeness crabbing. Fishermen will have until 6 p.m. on Monday, April 8, to get their gear out of the water for this year's season. Crabbers in Oregon and Washington, too, will face seasonal restrictions

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham assessed whale entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program. The latest data from aerial and vessel surveys showed humpback whale numbers are increasing. Bonham therefore decided the changes will take effect ...

Washington Crab Season Opens as State Releases the Third Season Review Edition

The weather is cooperating and crabbers in northern Oregon and Washington have begun setting their gear for the anticipated Jan. 15 Dungeness season opener.

While most of Oregon opened in December and some parts of California opened earlier this month, northern California and the Washington/Oregon area around the Columbia River were both set to open Wednesday.

Dungeness crab supports Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said. The value of state landings for the ...

Washington Crab Season Delayed Until at Least January 15; Oregon Going Strong

The news Monday was not exactly a lump of coal, but an early Christmas “gift” many fishermen suspected would be coming: An extended delay into January for the start of the Washington/Northern Oregon crab season.

In an announcement Monday, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said its crab managers met with other fishery managers from Oregon and California earlier in the day to determine the best option for an opening. However, the third round of testing showed crab from Long Beach, Wash., was only ...

Oregon Crabbers Get the Jump on West Coast Commercial Dungeness Season

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife managers announced Friday that the Dungeness crab season will open Dec. 16, from the California border in the south to Cape Falcon in the north.

“Pre-season testing in this area shows crab meat fill meets criteria and domoic acid is below the safety threshold,” ODFW said in a public notice.

However, Washington and California ocean commercial crab fisheries will remain closed.

The ocean season for Washington ...

CA, WA Dungeness Crab Fisheries on Hold For Now

Following Oregon’s announcement of a delay in the state’s Dungeness crab season, both California and Washington said that a combination of factors will delay the seasons in those states, too.

Late last week, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham announced the delay of the primary commercial crab season for Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties – Fishing Zones 1 and 2 in Northern California. The season would normally open on Dec. 1.

“Crab quality tests could not be conducted in ...

NCLA Challenges Washington State's GPS Monitoring of Crab Fishermen in Court

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Electronic Monitoring Program. This program uses GPS tech to track the location and movements of every state-licensed boat fishing for Coastal Dungeness crab, regardless of whether it is actively fishing or not.

The NCLA said the program is sustained by making fishermen pay for the electronic monitoring systems they must install on their boats, or else they face criminal sanctions...

West Coast Crabbers Getting Ready for Dungeness Season Despite CA Season Delay

Dungeness crab pots are being trailered in to ports from California Washington. Shiny new pots or pots that have been repaired and refreshed, ready for dumping the Pacific for one of the most valuable seafood species on the West Coast.

But before that happens, the industry must jump through the entanglement, biotoxin testing and meat quality hoops

Already, crabbers will miss the Nov. 15 traditional start date in Central California due to risks of whale entanglements. California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham  announced ...

Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Approves New Dungeness Crab Rules to Reduce Entanglements

In an effort to reduce whale entanglements in the Dungeness crab fishery, crabbers will be subject to new rules – but not until the 2026-2027 season.

The Oregon Fisha and Wildlife Commission, when it met earlier this month, adopted new line-marking recommendations for the crab fishery so managers can more easily determine which state’s fishery was responsible for any entangled whale.

Across the West Coast, line marking has been identified as a key method for improving identification of gear involved in ...

You Otter See This: Feds Publish Summary Report of Communities’ Comments Regarding Sea Otters

More than one year and 26 pages later, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has summarized the concerns and comments from Oregon and California communities as they pertain to potential sea otter reintroduction.

The report, which was shared widely with several community leaders ahead of it going live on the USFWS website today, is short, but highlights general concerns and comments (several appendices include more detailed information). The sea otters’ potential impact to commercial crab and sea urchin fisheries ranked high on the attendees’ list of...

China Section 301: USTR Issues Update on Alaskan Sole, Crab Products

On Friday the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced a further extension of certain exclusions in the Section 301 Investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. The decision came just days before the exclusions were scheduled to expire on May 31, 2024.

The China tariffs were launched in 2018 and 2019 by then-President Donald Trump in an effort to stop the country’s unfair trade practices. As Seafoodnews reported at the time, the...

ANALYSIS: Dungeness Clusters 23 Percent Higher Than Same Time Last Year

The market for Dungeness ocean-run clusters has been moving higher over the past 5-weeks and higher offers are also noted to kick off February. Supplies have been tight ahead of the new season and with delays to fisheries, inventories are reported to be thin. Clusters have moved up 14 percent since the beginning of 2024. In addition, as compared to last year at the same time, the market is also 23 percent higher.

However, in comparison to the 5-year average...