More delays for crabbers in San Mateo County

From the Mendocino/Sonoma County line to the U.S./Mexico border, which includes San Mateo County, the delay remains in place because of the number of whale-gear entanglements and continued risk for migrating humpback whales. 

Though commercial fishers haven’t been able to put out gear for this season yet, entanglement issues continue, Bartling said. 

“One of the very complicated, difficult things about entanglements — we don’t particularly know when or where they occur. The gear could have been picked up last season. Gear sometimes does get lost out there,” he said. 

In Half Moon Bay, where the holiday season used to be a boon for the local fishing industry, fishers now have little to do but wait, Harbor District General Manager James Pruett said. 

“They want to get out there, but they can’t. It’s definitely affecting their prices,” he said. “They’re very eager to get out.” 

For recreational crabbers — which are permitted — Pruett warned of safety and noted there had been recent capsizes up and down the coast. 

Donald Marshall, captain of the Northern Light, was hoping to spend the crab season in California, but is now making the pilgrimage up to Oregon.  

“It’s the new normal to start in January and have a much shorter season,” he said. “I didn’t see a very good possibility for them to start before January, and I really like to fish for holiday markets.” 

Despite the $3,000 to $4,000 investment it takes to haul gear to another state, Marshall feels it was a necessary decision. 

“For me, the way my business is set up with my financial obligations and responsibilities, I kind of always need to try to get that big hit,” he said.