One week after the long-anticipated commercial Dungeness crab season roared to life, hundreds of fishermen and crustacean-craving customers are eagerly indulging in the multi-million dollar industry.
Neither rain nor foggy skies kept crowds from Pillar Point Harbor over the weekend and a seemingly endless stream of crab loving consumers continued to spill onto the docks near Half Moon Bay this week.
The seasonal hustle and bustle that enlivens the local harbor is a welcomed commotion, particularly since last year’s holiday catch was halted due to the crustaceans testing positive for the harmful neurotoxin domoic acid.
But fears from last season appear to have subsided with people lining up to buy the local delicacies.
State wildlife officials gave the thumbs up for commercial fishermen to begin reeling in crab pots Nov. 15, just in time to satiate a Thanksgiving market. A rainy opening weekend was initially feared to keep customers who buy directly off the boat at bay. Fortunately, gray skies were not a deterrent to those who’ve waited more than a year for fresh crab, said commercial fisherman Barry Day, who reflected on the first weekend of the season.
“The leadup to it, I was sitting in the coffee shop thinking, ‘aw, they’re still all scared and there might be a couple of people.’ But I came up here and I fell off my god damn chair. It was raining and we still got bombed. People, people, people! And I’m so grateful for that. I thought wow, the people are back. It’s fantastic,” Day said. “Even in the rain, we were all dripping and wow, totally awesome.”
Having slept little since the season kicked off, Day said he and the small crew on his vessel the Rosella would continue to make up for lost time. But regardless of how many hours they put in, he said lost income from last year’s harvest would never be recovered.
Domoic acid, which was attributed to an algae bloom bolstered by warmer ocean temperatures, remained prevalent last year and a painfully short season didn’t commence until after the busy holiday and New Year’s markets had already passed. For fishermen who depend on crab and salmon, the last few years have been rough. The popular salmon industry has also been on the decline due to poor river conditions plagued by the ongoing drought.
‘This is worth it’
But hopes remained high as the clouds parted to welcome sunny skies Monday morning and visitors from near and far joyfully bought crabs that had been given an extra year to fatten up.
“We’ve been a year without getting crab, this is worth it,” said Annie Nagashima, whose face lit up with a smile after buying crab from Day’s boat.
The San Jose resident ventured to the harbor with her friend Grace Masuda, who was eager to dish up one of her favorite recipes.
“Even if you get them live in a store in a tank, nothing beats this,” Masuda said. “I throw beer into the water, boil them and let them die drunk.”
This year, domoic acid wasn’t going to ruin Masuda’s crab feast. Although state wildlife officials warned consumers not to eat the innards of the crustaceans, Masuda said she’d take her chances by twice-cooking the fatty viscera she loves to eat.
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The two friends chuckled while pointing other visitors in the direction of where to buy live crab.
Mountain View resident Shige Karino and Yu Suzuki were drawn to the coast for their first time buying live crab directly from a local fisherman. Both professional chefs, Karino said Monday’s trip was for their own benefit.
“Just craving crab today. We are getting dinner right here,” Karino said. “It’s going to be super fresh.”
The allure of a sea-salted coastal breeze was another attraction that led Las Vegas resident Maria Rafael to spend her 60th birthday at the harbor. Rafael and her daughter bought two plump crustaceans for lunch.
“Being Portuguese, it’s in my heritage. You breathe in the fresh air, see the crab coming in, everything about it reminds me of the old school. I love this,” Rafael said.
Pricing to vary
Throughout the weekend, signs advertising live crab were posted on at least a dozen boats as fishermen were pleased to flaunt their offerings to welcomed visitors. Prices for buying off the boat may fluctuate throughout the season. On Monday, live crab was selling for $6 a pound and wholesale prices differ.
The locally caught crab is a hot commodity, particularly since it’s some of the few being pulled from California’s waters prior to Thanksgiving. In a normal year, crab fishing in District 10 kicks off about two weeks earlier than other parts of the state. The region spanning the southern Mendocino County border down to the northern Santa Cruz County line attracts commercial vessels eager for the first haul.
Pence MacKimmie and the crew of the Navigator pulled into Pillar Point Harbor to offload some of the season’s first commercially caught crab. A wholesale buyer was already lined up and watching as live crab were pulled from massive storage containers below deck. Monday’s load was slated to head to Watsonville as well as down south to be sold at Los Angeles supermarkets, MacKimmie said.
He and the crew had been out fishing three days since last week’s opener and MacKimmie said they’d consider heading further north once state wildlife officials give a green light for other districts.
“You go until you break something, run out of bait or you break,” MacKimmie said. “But I love it. The excitement, it’s like gambling. When you get them, you get them big. It’s the thrill of victory or, whatever the defeats are.”
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