I emailed WDFW when this notice came out asking about a red rock season, but haven't gotten any response. Does anyone else have any updated information on a season for red rock crabs in 11 or 13?

Robert Sizemore has been the Shellfish Manager for about a year now and may be contacted at robert.sizemore@dfw.wa.gov.

Is that who you emailed?

Thanks for the email. I had emailed a couple other people, but I'll try Sizemore

Since I haven't made it a point of learning how to post documents or pictures (on purpose) here are the numbers (pounds?) for the 2017 season in MA 11 and MA 13:

AREA...........State/Tribal Shares........State Harvest.........Tribal Harvest

11...................17,366.......................17,321.................8,765
13....................4,868.........................4,480.................4,982

Keep in mind that this a one year snapshot and the real story is the degradation over the last 6 or so years. I have recommended in writing that the annual crab season report to the Commission include slides for each management area showing harvest numbers over multiple seasons so that trends can be observed and appropriate questions asked. As it is, the harvest numbers from MA 7 (San Juans and north) obscure the problems in South Sound.

Edit: For comparison here are the numbers off of the same report for MA 7:

7*................2,550,000.....................2,565,495.........2,525,896

*Data as of preparation of the report & anticipating minor upward adjustments. The preponderance of the State share in MA 7 is harvested commercially.

By the way, when will WDFW announce opening dates for the rest of PS?

At the Crab Advisory Group meeting referenced earlier in which the possible MA 11 & 13 closures (now a done deal) were discussed there was no discussion of any other alterations to the standard season set in the Management Plan. So I fully anticipate the standard 1 July opener except for the later openings in MA 7. By the way, that is different than assuming......

Now, if they would just update their webpage: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/.

Was trying make plans for San Juans in MA7. The opener is usually on July 15 or 16th, depending what day that falls. July 15th is on a Sunday this year. The past season days have been Thursday-Sundays. Will the opener be 1 day, Sunday only, or will the whole weekend be available?

How about open Thursdays through Mondays during the summer season?

Would that mean the opener would be on Thursday, July 12 or Thursday, July 19?

My post was intended to correct your Thursday through Sunday weekly opening to include Monday (until the winter season when it goes to seven days a week).

And that only applies to when the summer season is open. So if 7W opens 15 August and that is a Sunday then it will be open Sunday and Monday then closed for Tuesday/Wednesday reopening on Thursday.

Last year's little debacle was when the 4th of July was on a Tuesday and some folks just kept on crabbing and were ticketed. Since then I made a recommendation that the 4th of July be open no matter what day of the week.....so far no response from the Shellfish Manager.

Was just told by a friend that the Tribal guys are launching pots all over area 10, I ran down to take a look & he was right. So the slim pickings that where left from last year, will be even slimmer... Anybody know how many pots they are allowed to fish ? How many days a week ? How long is there season ?

Once again we will be left scrapes. I expect Area 9 will be next.

Thank You!

Looking at the release, I never realized the tribe would still be conducting their subsistence fishery. While the numbers are tiny, it seems unfair that the only the rec side individuals suffer, while the tribal members only loose the commercial side, which can it can be argued is one of the main reasons we are not crabbing. Reference number: 3740612H-5


Squaxin Island Tribe Crab Regulation Regulation # 2018-01

The following regulation is promulgated by the Squaxin Island Tribe. This fishery shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the 20187-2019 Region 7 Dungeness Crab Harvest Management Plan between Treaty Tribes and the State of Washington.

DATE ADOPTED: June 4th, 2018

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6th, 2018

CLOSING DATE: March 1st, 2019

CATCH AREA: Shellfish catch reporting areas 28B, 28C, 28D, and 28A.


FISHERY TYPE: Subsistence

SPECIES: Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus)

ON/OFF RESERVATION: On/Off

LEGAL GEAR: Pots, rings and hand-operated instruments that do not penetrate the shell are the only legal gear.

POT LIMIT: Up to 5 pots per harvester

ESTIMATED HARVEST: up to 10 crab per day

ESTIMATED EFFORT: 2-4 harvesters

DAYS/HOURS: Open 7 days a week, from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. It is unlawful to tend pots from a vessel at night.

CATCH REPORTING: Crabbers must have a subsistence crab permit in their possession while participating in this fishery. OTHER PROVISIONS:

All Crab catch must be recorded on a subsistence permit and turned in monthly or as specified on the permit. New permits will not be issued until all outstanding permits have been returned.

Minimum size for male Dungeness crab is 6.25 inches and for Red rock crab of either sex is 5 inches.

Looks like areas opening on the Sat. a day earlier than usual. Good for the WDFW. Hope crab are left for us since the tribes are already in!
https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jun0818a/

Bullship that they couldn't figure out how to open it the 4th of July. Really going to screw with a long-standing tradition of fresh, beach-cooked crab watching fireworks from the beach chair.