Search

Was the 2013-14 stone crab season W terrible or decent? The answer depends on whom you ask. It depends on where they fished and whether they got in on the [...]

Commercial fisherman Dan Crawford turned to crabbing because of the current low prices of salmon in Puget Sound, WA. Crabbing in Puget Sound was once a profitable business but has been significantly altered because of state regulations and tribal agreements. Crawford is relatively a beginner to crabbing but feels that he has to adapt to the changes in the economic and political environments for survival.

Western Atlantic codfish stocks are improving, but fishermen in eastern Newfoundland and Labrador aren't as happy about it as you might think. 'The northern stock is improving,' says Sam Whiffen, [...]

Chesapeake Bay crabbers and pickers report that the continuous decline of blue crab populations is threatening their businesses. The 125-yr.-old commercial crabbing industry is also being threatened by Virginia's and Maryland's regulations limiting the season and permitted catch. The industry, which is seeking government financial assistance, also expects the shortage to enhance Asian and South American crab imports.

Soft-shell crabs are crabs that have just molted and are used by people for food before the new shell can harden. They are soft for about two hours before the process must be stopped, causing strange sleep hours for the humans who monitor them. A soft-shell crabman talks about his business.

Fisherman David Colson has turned to crabbing in response to the commercial netting ban implemented by the fishing industry after the Nov. 1994 election. The 35 year-old Colson has also diversified his operation into oystering and fishing for mullet, sea trout, sharks, blue crabs and stone crabs. He is also looking into the potentials of shellfish farming in his base in Suwannee, FL. He believes that the fishing ban will push fishermen to expand and become more flexible in their fishing operations.

The opening of the 1991-92 Dungeness crab season was marred by tragedy with the loss of three vessels and five lives in separate accidents involving bar crossings along Washington's coast. [...]