Had noticed that I still have not seen any fresh crab available retail. Early delay causes from toxins and lack of meat fill. Looked up and noticed it opens Jan 28 in most areas off our coast. http://www.psmfc.org/crab/2017-2018%20files/Nof%20Klipsanopener.01.18.FINAL.pdf
But wait, some Tribes have been in already for over 30 days? Why do they always get to go 1st? How about alternating 1st in every other year. Same for us recs in PS. Even years for us, odd years for the Tribes?

Talk with your great negotiators.

The argument against is that everybody is fishing to a number, which iOS obviously out there and available. So, first or last, you number is still there.

Now, if you buy that I have some oceanfront for sale cheap in AZ...

I've heard lots of "soft shell" crab. That is the reason the non-tribal crabbers are not fishing yet, al least in the Westport area.

Oh, heard the price was down from last years price !!!!

Starting tomorrow, Safeway/Albertsons has a three day sale on "Fresh Wild Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab" for $5.77 a pound. First of the season and subject to availability. Origin unknown...

We just bought crab from Tom Peters, captain of the Gale Force out of Tokeland, one of the oldest and best crabbers around. I've been buying crab from his family for almost 40 years.The season opened Monday, after two delays.The delays were due to the tri-state agreement with ORE. and CA., also crab needed more time to harden up. We averaged 9.37 oz. of picked meat per crab, that's a lot, usually less then 8 oz. per. Only a few were a little soft, still had a decent amount of meat, though. We vacuum seal the meat 8 oz. per, frozen lasts "till next comm. crabbing season with little loss of quality. Since we clean and steam the crab, the meat doesn't seem to come out as wet. He had them for $12 each, but they just get more expensive as the season progresses. They got more then usual from the buyers, prob. due to late opening and unwillingness of tribal crabbers from Westport to take less then $3 per.which delayed sales 'till this week. I heard $5 was settled on. Most of these crab are bound for China these days, like all our good seafood. Good for the fishermen, but not so much for locals who have to watch as crab becomes a luxury food (along with a lot of other seafood, smelt maybe?). We'll be buying a puller for our boat this year, hopefully more fresh crab throughout the year. Bob R

bob r,

You gonna be lookin for an elec or gas puller?

fp

Electric, as we don't have to have container to engine transfer for fuel, I have a 12 volt outlet for a downrigger to use right by our davit. I seem to remember that you had a gas powered one on classified a while back. Thanks for thinking of us, though. Bob and Melanie

My gas has worked excellent but Mrs. fp wants electric so I'm gonna sell my 2 gas pullers and buy an electric very soon.

fp

No crab at either Safeway or Albertsons this weekend. I've looked for some the last two days, and received different reasons why they have none for their advertised sale. Bottom line is someone is not happy with the money they are getting for their crab. The plan is to rerun the sale when crab becomes available.

The "unfair" part of the tribes going first in this fishery is that they always get a much higher price per lb. before the "whites' get their opener because the supply is much less, for instance once it opens for the "whites" the price is down to $3.00 per lb but it may have been up to $6.00 when it opened for the tribes and stayed there a couple weeks until the supply was flooded.

When I was working in La Push that's what the "white" commercials complained about the most and always threatened to strike due to price being so low. The Natives could fish all the way through the "white" season as well but some would stop once the price got too low for them because they already made enough money anyways, tax and mostly regulation free by the way.

Well.....I remember, 1968, Wishkah River mouth crab boat St. Joseph was selling live crab ..... $.50 a piece, now that was the good old days.!!!!!