While storms continue to roll towards shore off the Pacific Ocean, some of Oregon’s commercial crabbing fleet has been weathering, well, the weather. According to Tim Novotny with the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission out of Coos Bay, “So far, what we hear sounds pretty positive. But, it is still a pretty small sample of vessels that we have heard from. The size and quality appears to be in line with what we saw during preseason tests in those areas, and that was big, full and great quality crab.” The commercial season normally begins December 1st, but the meat content was too low and the season was backed off until Jan. 4th. Then the weather got rougher offshore. However, some of the fleet has taken on the turbulent sea to land the season’s first crab to local processors. Novotny adds, “Some of the crab has been hitting the local, coastal restaurants and markets near the ports. It may still be a few days before we see the first batches making their way into the super markets and further inland.” The commercial season opened north of Cape Arago to the Columbia River. South of Cape Arago the meat content has been slow to rise. “A lot of southern boats are still in, of course, due to closure – for meat quality (Port Orford) or (in the case of Brookings) Domoic. Brookings though, did get the first of two needed clean tests to open. On the 15th they could also open on an Evisceration Notice if they choose.”
