The Dungeness Crab Kabuki Dance

Hello Fishies!

Believe it or not there are many different commercial fisheries here in the U.S. As I am involved in fisheries on the west coast and in Alaska, that is where my focus will lie.

For now, it is time to move down the coast to the lower 48 and concentrate on Dungeness Crab. Some of you may be familiar with this sweet meated crustacean, and some of you will read about it simply because it is crab! As an enticement – some of the folks involved in the Deadliest Catch are captains and crew aboard dungie boats.

The government has set the opening lift for dungies on Dec. 1 of the year. This opening can vary depending upon the results of certain tests. (More on those tests later.) Suffice it to say that the result of the testing this year is very good.

But the boats are still tied to the docks, their decks loaded with crab pots. Bait is still in the freezers, the processor crews sit idle. The boat owners, skippers and crew meet every few days, up and down the west coast. The meeting places are usually large, dimly lit, with poor acoustics and stellar barkeeps.

There are some meeting places where every person tries to out shout each other. They are certain that their opinion is more notable than others. One thing they all agree on – they will not fish for the opening price of $1.40. The crabbers are holding out for $1.60 – both prices are reminiscent of the 1980’s.

The dungie fishery is one of most poorly managed, over capitalized, politically charged and processor controlled of all the fisheries. As we move through the season on our way towards opilio crab, I hope to be your guide in this maze. Some of the information may bore you to tears, some may shock you, and I am absolutely certain that you will find a few of my opinions outrageous.

Stay tuned!

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