Crescent City Harbor District helps shoulder the financial burden of the local crab fishermen

Crab season off the Del Norte coast opened January 5. Which should be good news.

But due to the determination by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the local crab industry will be under a 50% gear reduction.

These recommendations are based on confirmed entanglement for humpback whales and leather back sea turtles.

The Risk Assessment will be ongoing through the crab season and may change. In the meantime, the Crescent City Harbor District is lending local crabbers a hand.

“The Crescent City Harbor District does not believe the fisherman should shoulder this burden alone,” said Harbor Master CEO Tim Petrick. “In consultation with representatives of the fishing fleet, we decided since they are making half in January, their crab pot storage fees will be halved for January 2024.”

Petrick said he wanted to thank Josh Mims and RB Pincombe for advocating so clearly on behalf of the crabbers.