Crabbers set off after setting price: Fishermen, buyers agree to $2.90 per pound, long awaited season begins

“A few boats, three or four, went out last night. But almost everybody in all the other ports stayed in,” said commercial fisherman Porter McHenry, president of the Half Moon Bay Seafood Marketing Association. “We all stayed pretty much united to make sure we had a price before we went fishing.”

Despite a few initial offers of $2.75 per pound, buyers and fishermen settled on the higher price Tuesday morning with crabbing boats eagerly parading out to sea shortly thereafter, McHenry said as he left Pillar Point to go fishing.

The nearly five-month delay due to the crustaceans previously testing positive for high levels of the neurotoxin domoic acid caused significant hardship for those whose livelihoods depend on California’s $90 million annual industry. But several locals were willing to wait a few extra days, particularly as the weather wasn’t ideal. Opting not to venture out last Friday allowed buyers and crabbers to settle on price and make sure the crustaceans were still yielding a high percentage of meat.

“You’ve got to make sure you can go to the consumers and convince them it’s a good quality crab. I think it was well worth the time to get everyone on board today. It’s all new territory, new ground, we’ve never started this late before, so we have to spend a little time to make sure you get it right,” said commercial crabber Jim Anderson, who fishes out of Pillar Point and sits on the state’s Dungeness Crab Task Force.

The presence of high levels of domoic acid in California crab prompted state wildlife officials to stunt the season opener and, now months behind schedule, this time of year is often when crabs begin to molt.

Typically, they kick off the season after determining the crabs yield about 25 percent meat and local crabs tested Monday offered a 28 percent recovery rate, Anderson said.

Sport fishermen, who were allowed to crab starting almost two weeks ago, have also reported hefty catches with little evidence of molting.

While the wholesale price could potentially change as the season continues through the end of June, Anderson said fishermen agreed to wait to ensure everyone was on the same page.

“To get all the buyers in line at a reasonable price so that we didn’t go fishing and leave at one price, then get back in and find one buyer had dropped the price. So you just have an understanding that everyone’s playing the same game,” Anderson said.

For those who sell directly to consumers off their boat, Anderson said the price hasn’t yet been determined but it will be higher than the wholesale agreement.

McHenry said the $2.90 is just shy of the last few years when the season started closer to $3 per pound. He noted the irregular season has already dashed many expectations and last weekend’s weather wasn’t ideal. Although many have had too much free time on their hands, McHenry said it was worth waiting a few extra days to ensure a fair price.

“We got a lot of projects done, but it’s been boring and no one’s been making any money. People are hungry to go fishing,” McHenry said, noting he doesn’t typically sell directly to consumers. “I like to just come in and give them to wholesalers and concentrate on the fishing instead of the selling.”

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