Washington Dungeness Landings 23% Higher than Last Year
SEAFOODNEWS.COM By Peggy Parker - February 11, 2016
The season may have been delayed a month for Washington’s Dungeness crab fleet, but landings to date are 2.3 million pounds more than last year at this time.
Total commercial and tribal landings have reached 10,307,061 lbs. compared to 7,970,771 lbs. this time last year. This year, non-tribal landings are about 86 percent of the total. Last year they were about 82 percent.
Dan Ayers, Washington State Coastal Shellfish Manager, says because of the five-week delay opening the season, the crab have filled out completely after their fall molt.
“The late start allowed crab to really fill in well, so the crab are of especially high quality and very heavy — or full of meat” Ayers says. “we’ve heard that from fishers, buyers and even from retail consumers.”
Washington’s season got underway January 4, 2016 rather than December 1, 2015. It will continue through...
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