YAQUINA BAY — After a a two-week delay, the Dungeness crab season is set to open for most of the Oregon coast starting Dec. 16. From Cape Falcon to the California border, fishing vessels can start setting gear for the pre-soak period as soon as Dec. 13 and see their first pulls hit the docks on opening day.
The season is normally scheduled to open Dec. 1, but is often delayed for quality assurance reasons and toxin testing. Testing this year showed a low meat yield in crab specimens, prompting the two-week delay to allow the crabs to fill with meat. Last year’s opening day was delayed until Dec. 31 for similar reasons.
Domoic acid levels in crab across the coast were found to be safe for human consumption, but elevated levels in razor clams have prompted ongoing testing north of Cape Perpetua. Areas north of Cape Falcon will remain closed for now due to elevated levels of domoic acid reported from Washington.
Troy Buell of the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife said that the meat yield this year is looking better at 24 percent, but overall volume is down. While he expects a decent season, Buell did express concern about how the COVID-19 pandemic could affect the market and said a poorer season has been expected to hit the area for the last few years.
Tim Novotny of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission said that this is a year of multiple uncertainties for commercial crabbers. Crabbing is a cyclical industry filled with ups and downs, and Novonty said the Oregon coast has been expecting the drop for awhile.
“One of these years we’re going to have a year where the crab just aren’t there and thats just the way of things,” Novonty said. “This year may end up being the one where we don’t have a lot of crab, but we also don’t know what the demand is going to be.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has also left the commission and others to wonder what the market will look like with restaurants partially shut down and potentially less buyers on the market.
“This is even more of a confusing year than it was for us last year,” Novotny said. “When the pandemic hit, there was a lot of uncertainty because of the first round of closures, but at that point a lot of the season had already been accounted for.”
Novotny said most of the product comes in during the first eight weeks of the season, with most of the work for the season being finished before the shutdowns began ramping up in March.
“The bulk of the season was done and dusted at that point,” Novotny said. “There was a lot still to go, but we had the bulk done. Our only concern was what would happen if things would continue into the next season — this season.”
While Novonty doesn’t have many answers on what this year might hold for crabbers, local captains are busy preparing for the season regardless.
”It seems like it’s gonna be a tough season,” Captain Joe Conchelos of the Kraken said. “With restaurants and everything else being closed it makes for a tough marketing structure. We haven’t got a price yet from the processors, and it sounds like we’re going to see a pretty low price offered.”
Conchelos added that the virus itself is another looming threat to his business. If his crew or the processors suffered any sort of outbreak, it would grind the season to a halt, regardless of what the demand ends up being.
The pandemic aside, commercial crabbing continues to be one of Oregon’s most valuable fishing industries. Last year the season brought in the second highest ex-vessel value at $72.7 million, despite the month-long delay for opening day. It landed just under 20 million pounds, which is about 12 percent above the 10-year average.
Recreational Dungeness crabbing opened Dec. 1 on schedule, allowing recreational crabbers to harvest in scheduled areas in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers and jetties. Testing this year has remained well below safe market levels, but its still advised that recreational crabbers contact the Shellfish Hotline (800-448-2474) or visit the ODA Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures webpage at tinyurl.com/y54db5gz before crabbing in their area.
The Link LonkDecember 11, 2020 at 11:53PM
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Crab season opens Dec. 16 - Newport News Times
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