Okay, let me try. First, WDFW considers retaining a soft crab as wastage hence the regulation against keeping "soft" crab. It is also the basis for opening of commercial seasons on the coast with testing accomplished to determine that a certain percentage of crab are hard - and correspondingly in the area of 25% meat. That leads to the setting of recreational seasons of which there are several opening dates depending upon location and crab molting dates for those areas. So, the answer is yes....but that is not all.

When the new policy was being developed there was a need to balance seasons and daily limits to stay within the State's share for each management area. Seasons were a combination of start/end dates as well as number of days per week. We ended up with a policy with a summer season July through Labor Day (except MA 7) and five days a week ( Thursday through Monday). Any residual poundage in a MA goes to a possible winter season in that MA.

There is also the issue of orderly fisheries and it is my personal opinion that the July opener provides an opportunity for the tribal fisheries to occur without conflict with rec fisheries - whether intended or not.

On the other side tribal seasons can occur any time but seem to precede recreational openings so as to be able to crab on the highest abundance. I do not know to what extent the individual tribes regulate the take of "soft" crab or whether that is constrained by what the buyers will accept.

You probably knew a lot of that information but I hope it is of some value to others.