All articles tagged with #dungeness crab
With an 81% chance of a 'super' El Niño, researchers warn California’s crab and salmon fleets could face disruptions similar to 2015–16, as warmer oceans shift species, blunt juvenile salmon growth, and delay crab seasons (including toxic bloom-caused closures); relief funds for affected fishermen have often arrived only years later, threatening livelihoods.
The commercial crabbing season has finally begun in the Bay Area, but local crabbers are frustrated with the low prices offered by processors, especially in comparison to Oregon. Customers can support local fishermen by buying fresh crabs directly from the boat at Fisherman’s Wharf or through off-the-boat sales, with prices currently at $10 per pound. Fishers in Humboldt County chose to strike rather than accept lower prices, but their efforts seem to have been unsuccessful as the season opened in San Francisco. There is a call for fishermen to organize and negotiate for higher prices to address the imbalance of power with processors.
Commercial Dungeness crab fishing is approved to start on the Central Coast and the Monterey Bay on January 18, with a 50% reduction in the number of traps allowed to protect the whale population.
The commercial Dungeness crab fishing season in the Bay Area has been delayed until at least December 1 to protect migrating whales, as large aggregations of humpback whales continue to forage in the fishing zones. Rising ocean temperatures and shifting whale migration patterns have contributed to increased entanglements. The start date may be subject to change depending on the entanglement risks, with officials set to announce on November 17. Recreational fishing, limited to hoop nets and crab snares, will be allowed starting November 4.