Fish and Wildlife Commission Limits Commercial Crab Pots

Image Courtesy: State of Washington

(Salem, Oregon) - The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission moved to establish limits on the number of Dungeness crab pots commercial crab boats may fish in the ocean during their Dungeness crab season.

The decision came after more than two years of meetings with the public and members of the crab industry. The pot-limit plan grew out of a crab summit last July, when crab fishermen met with the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission and ODFW to discuss issues important to the industry.

Since then, Oregon Fish and Wildlife has worked with Oregon crab permit holders, processors and other interested public and received hundreds of phone calls, letters and emails as a result.

The Commission directed the agency to develop a plan for crab pot limits after many members of the commercial crab industry voiced concerns about problems associated with unregulated gear in this fishery.

The Commission was briefed on the development of the plan and heard public testimony on it during its regular monthly meetings in October, March and April.

The plan adopted today will have three tiers of limits - 200, 300, and 500 pots per vessel, depending on the vessel`s landings during the six seasons between 1995 and 2001. This plan meets the Commission`s target of reducing the total number of pots in the fishery from approximately 200,000 pots to around 150,200.

The pot limits will be in effect throughout the season, which usually begins Dec. 1 but seasons may be delayed to ensure the crabs are of top quality. The Commission directed that the pot limits take effect for the 2006-2007 commercial crab season.