Part of the commercial pitch was that we recreational crabbers, in addition to being poachers and thieves and elitists and non-sport fishers (because sport fishers should use hook and line and NOT the type of gear used by commercial) and we all crab from our big, expensive boats (remember the elitist label), was that we represent only a small portion of the State population and to take away from the commercial catch is to reduce the amount of crab to the rest of the population. Need to take note that they also did not want to include any discussion of the coastal harvest which is virtually all commercial.

I was disappointed that none of our recreational retail suppliers testified (that I can recall) although both Ed's Surplus and Outdoor Emporium were at the JLARC hearing when the SAO's crab program audit report was presented. That said, I don't recall any of the wholesale or retail seafood folks being in attendance yesterday either.

In a side conversation after the meeting one Commissioner stated that he had heard that Washington caught crab was being sold to Canadian firm(s) due to prices being higher. I hope that can only occur after it has been landed in Washington and properly reported to the WDFW. I personally saw Dungeness crab dinners being advertised on a beach billboard in Biloxi MS this past Spring for $19.99 and another CCA member reported seeing it in Florida and confirmed that it was supplied out of Washington.