Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fleet will be hauling gear in time for the holidays.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced that the commercial season will open Dec. 16 from Cape Falcon to the California border, ensuring fresh crab will hit coastal markets just ahead of Christmas.
The northern portion of the coast will remain on standby as managers continue working toward alignment with Washington. That area will open only after Long Beach crab meets the 23 percent meat-fill threshold, with the earliest possible date landing on Dec. 31. Oregon’s commercial bay crab fishery will also open Dec. 16 in the same region and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31.
“Oregon’s crab fishery is an economic driver for coastal communities,” said Justin Ainsworth, ODFW’s marine resources program manager. He noted that managers had hoped to coordinate more closely with Washington’s opening but said, “I appreciate crab fishermen being patient as we tried to align our opening with Washington, but the best option now is to open up what we can.”
This year’s opener carries a fleet advisory, urging vessels to stay alert for whales and avoid setting gear in areas where they’re forging or transiting to reduce the risk of entanglement.
Fishermen can begin presoak on Dec. 13, setting their baited pots from Cape Falcon to the California border. The presoak period gives fishermen an organized and safe start with harvest beginning on Dec. 16.
ODFW will continue to provide weekly updates until a final decision is made on opening the north coast.
