Crabbers

Published on: October 14, 2025

Alaska Crab Fisheries Show Signs of Recovery

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) delivered good news to the commercial fishing industry on Monday, October 6, 2025, when it was announced that it is nearly doubling the allowable harvest for the upcoming Bering Sea snow crab commercial fishing season. The increase marks a turning point for an industry that has endured devastating losses over the past several years.

ADF&G has set the catch limit at 9.3 million pounds for the season, representing a substantial increase over last year’s totals. However, the figure remains a reminder of how far the fishery has fallen from its peak. In 1991, crabbers harvested more than 320 million pounds of snow crab from these waters. Even as recently as 2020, the catch limit was set at 45 million pounds before the stock’s catastrophic collapse.

The downturn began in 2021 when more than 10 billion snow crabs vanished from the Bering Sea. The disappearance forced regulators to close the fishery for two consecutive seasons, leaving boats tied to docks and processing plants closed. Researchers attributed the collapse to warming ocean waters driven by climate change, which disrupted the delicate ecosystem these cold-water crustaceans depend on.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Washington’s Dungeness Crab Season Opens South of Klipsan Beach

by Nigel Stacey

Washington’s commercial Dungeness crab season is set to begin January 15^th, 2025 for coastal areas from Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula south to Cape Falcon, Oregon, including the Columbia River and Willapa Bay. However, the opening date for the remainder of Washington’s Pacific Coast remains undecided.

The Dungeness crab fishery represents the state’s most lucrative commercial fishery. The 2023-24 season brought in $66.8 million, second only to the record $88.2 million catch during the 2021-22 season.

The annual start of the season is determined collaboratively by fish and wildlife departments in Washington, Oregon, and California as part of a tri-state agreement to manage the West Coast Dungeness crab fishery. Opening dates depend on test fishing results, which assess the condition of the crab population. Detailed results can be found at psmfc.org/crab.

Published on: December 17, 2024

Man Charged with Illegally Harvesting 27 Dungeness Crabs in Washington

by Joseph Stacey

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has apprehended an individual for illegally harvesting Dungeness crabs in the North Sound area of Washington State. A WDFW officer observed the person crabbing from a local pier and conducted an inspection, uncovering 27 Dungeness crabs in the individual’s possession. Of these, 22 were female, which is prohibited to protect the species’ reproductive capacity. Four were undersized, failing to meet the state’s legal size requirements. None of the crabs were recorded on a catch record card, a mandatory requirement for recreational crabbers in Puget Sound to monitor and manage crab populations effectively. After documenting the illegal catch, officials returned the crabs to the water.

This incident highlights the importance of adhering to state regulations designed to preserve Dungeness crab populations. The ban against harvesting female and undersized crabs is a conservation measure aimed at ensuring the species’ sustainability. By allowing female crabs to remain in the ecosystem, the reproductive cycle continues without interruption, supporting future generations. Similarly, protecting undersized crabs enables them to reach maturity and contribute to the population before becoming eligible for harvest.

The requirement for recreational crabbers to use a Dungeness crab catch record card is another vital requirement of the state’s management strategy. These records provide WDFW with essential data to assess crab populations and make informed decisions regarding season openings, closures, and catch limits. Non-compliance with this requirement impedes the department’s ability to manage the fishery effectively, potentially leading to overharvesting and long-term ecological consequences.

Published on: November 26, 2024

Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Season Delayed Until Mid-December

by Joseph Stacey

Crab season will begin later this year, as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced a coastwide delay for the state’s commercial Dungeness crab season. Originally set to open on December 1, 2024, the season has been postponed until at least December 16, 2024.

The decision comes after pre-season testing revealed two issues: low meat yields in some ocean areas and elevated domoic acid levels in the crabs’ digestive systems in parts of the south coast. These findings prompted the delay to ensure consumers receive a high-quality product and to avoid wasting this treasured resource.

In addition, the commercial bay crab fishery—which is currently open from Cape Blanco to the Washington border—will close at 12:01 a.m. on December 1, 2024. Although this fishery typically runs through the end of December, it will only reopen if the ocean commercial season begins before the end of the year.

Published on: November 5, 2024

2025 Tanner Crab Harvest Quota Limit Set by ADF&G

by Nigel Stacey

Kodiak’s fishing community is preparing for the 2025 Tanner crab season, a staple of Alaska’s crab fisheries. In a press release, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has set the start date for the Tanner crab fishing season in the Kodiak District and South Peninsula for January 15, 2025, with a quota limit of 560,000 pounds, an immense reduction from previous season’s quotas. Chignik and the South Peninsula Western district will remain closed.

In 2024, Kodiak’s Tanner crab fishery brought in an impressive 3.48 million pounds, a substantial figure that fueled local economies and maintained Kodiak’s reputation as a critical hub for Alaskan crab.

The crab population from this cohort reached its peak in 2023, when Kodiak’s fishing fleet was able to harvest an unusually high quota of 5.8 million pounds. The sharp reduction in the current season’s quota reflects changes in the Tanner crab population and ADF&G’s commitment to sustainable fishery management.

Published on: October 22, 2024

Alaska Opens Snow Crab Fishery for First Time in Two Years, Allowing 4.7 Million Pound Harvest

by Nigel Stacey

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced that the Bering Sea snow crab fishery will reopen after being closed for two years, allowing fishermen to harvest approximately 4.7 million pounds of snow crab. This decision follows an assessment that the population of mature male crabs has increased above the threshold necessary to support sustainable fishing.

The 2024/25 Bering Sea snow crab fishery opened in Bering Sea District waters west of 165° W longitude at 12:00 noon on October 15, 2024 and will close at 11:59 p.m. May 15, 2025 in the Eastern Subdistrict (east of 173° W longitude), and close at 11:59 p.m. May 31, 2025 in the Western Subdistrict (west of 173° W longitude).

The reopening of the snow crab fishery comes as a relief to many in the fishing industry, especially those in coastal Alaska communities that rely heavily on the income generated by the snow crab harvest. The fishery was closed for the past two years due to sharp declines in the crab population, which raised concerns about overfishing and environmental changes affecting the crab habitat. In 2021, the ADF&G took the extraordinary step of shutting down the snow crab fishery after population surveys revealed a dramatic crash in crab numbers, likely linked to rising ocean temperatures, reduced sea ice, and ecosystem changes.

Published on: October 8, 2024

Ropeless Crab Gear Trial

by Joseph Stacey

The recent trial of innovative ropeless crab fishing gear off the California coast has ignited controversy among the Dungeness crab fishing community. The trial, which ran from April 9 to June 30, 2024, allowed a limited number of commercial crabbers to use ropeless gear to harvest during a time typically restricted to protect whales and crabs. While the technology has been hailed by some as a major breakthrough in reducing whale entanglements, others in the community view it as a complication in an already strained industry.

The trial, the largest of its kind to date, focused on testing “pop-up” fishing gear designed to eliminate the need for traditional buoy lines, which are known to cause entanglements for marine mammals such as whales. Instead of using long lines of rope that extend from the ocean floor to a surface buoy, ropeless systems employ underwater cages that release to the surface when remotely activated by the fishermen. This eliminates the vertical ropes, which have been identified as a major hazard for migrating whales that can become trapped.

Whale entanglements in traditional crab fishing gear have become an increasingly urgent concern over the past decade, leading to frequent delays and shutdowns of the crabbing season in California. In recent years, crabbers have faced shortened seasons, which often fall during critical whale migration periods. As a result, the fishing industry has been under pressure to find solutions that balance both marine conservation and the economic sustainability of crab fishing. Proponents of ropeless gear argue that the technology offers a new way to allow crabbing to continue while protecting endangered species like humpback and blue whales.

Published on: January 30, 2024

Ilwaco Community Salvaging Crabbing Season After Fire

by Joseph Stacey

On Monday, January 22^nd, 2023, at about 11 AM, calls flooded 911 dispatchers with reports of a blaze at the Ilwaco Landing Cannery. The Ilwaco Fire Department, headed by Fire Chief Jeff Archer, promptly responded to the distress calls. The fire originated on the Ilwaco Landing wharf, situated over Baker Bay waters near the mouth of the Columbia River.

The blaze engulfed nearly all structures on the Ilwaco Landing wharf, including the cannery building, crab pots, vehicles parked on the dock, and the dock itself. The fire resulted in a complete and total loss.

The 2024 Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishing Season begins this week on February 1^st, which means the crabbing fleet was busy staging for their season. Approximately 8,500 commercial crab pots, equipped with ropes and licenses, were assembled on the dock in anticipation.

Published on: October 14, 2023

Red King Crab Harvesting Opens in the Bering Sea

by Nigel Stacey

After a two-year closure due to insufficient stock levels for fishing, the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery in Alaska is scheduled to reopen at noon on October 15, 2023. The established quota for this reopening is 2.15 million pounds, slightly less than the 2.6 million pounds set in 2020.

Jamie Goen, executive director of Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, said members are happy to return to their work on the water. However, they are committed to ensuring minimal impact, aiming for the sustainability of the crab resource for future generations.

“They are tracking closely the science around the health of crab stocks and want to help crab continue to rebound,” she said. We’re adding extra measures this season during our directed pot fishery for crab to reduce our interactions with crab. We’re increasing communication with the fleet on best handling practices, clean fishing areas, and opportunities to share gear.”

Published on: October 16, 2022

Alaska’s Bering Sea Snow Crab & King Crab Seasons Canceled

by Nigel Stacey

Officials in Alaska have cancelled the autumn Bristol Bay red king crab harvest as well as the winter snow crab harvest. After a summer population survey showed dismal stocks, the difficult decision to cancel was announced by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Biologists and senior agency officials alike agreed that this is the best decision amid deep conservation concerns.

“Management of Bering Sea snow crab must now focus on conservation and rebuilding given the condition of the stock,” the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in a statement. “Efforts to advance our science and understanding of crab population dynamics are underway. With crab industry input, ADF&G will continue to evaluate options for rebuilding, including potential for sustainably fishing during periods of low abundance.”

Snow crabs are a cold-water species, usually found in areas where water temperatures are below 2 degrees Celsius. The snow crab population collapse is still being investigated; however, scientists believe the 2019 warming of the Bering Sea has caused a change in the crabs’ metabolism, which is leading to starvation. Warmer waters may also be advantageous to certain predators, further decreasing crab stocks. Last year’s harvest was the smallest in 40 years, with a 5.6 million pound harvest.