KLIPSAN BEACH — In contrast to 2013 when the commercial Dungeness crab season was delayed until Dec. 16 and 2012 when it was delayed until Dec. 31, the 2014-15 coastal Dungeness crab fishery in the area south of Klipsan Beach south to Point Arena, Calif., will open on its traditional date of Dec. 1. The gear set period begins 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 28.
In recent years, crab have been slow to achieve a legal-minimum 23 percent meat. But the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on Saturday, Nov. 22, announced, “Pre-season test fishing necessary to set the season opening date has been completed; final test fishing results indicate that crab condition criteria has been met in Washington, Oregon and California.”
The robust condition of crab this November is in stark contrast to last year at this time, when some Washington crab failed to meet the 23 percent test.
“Crabs are FAT with almost 27 percent meat recovery as early as late October,” Columbia crab fleet spokesman Dale Beasley of Ilwaco said Sunday morning.
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