With the opening of Dungeness crab fisheries along the U.S. West Coast, interest in the crustacean has picked up.
After two rounds of delays due to low meat yields and domoic acid, the Dungeness crab fishery opened in some areas of the U.S. state Oregon on 15 January, and boats began fishing on 17 January after extended negotiations between fishermen and processors resulted in the per-pound price being set at USD 2.25 (EUR 2.06). The first crab began coming into Oregon’s ports a few days later.
The fishery in the state of California opened 1 January after delays due to the presence of whales, but fishermen didn’t begin working until the price was set, but Humboldt Fisherman's Marketing Association President Harrison Ibach told California public radio station KMUD the low price – less than half of last year’s USD 4.75 (EUR 4.36) per pound and the lowest since 2012 – will make fishing difficult this year.
"Horrendous," Ibach said. “The price was something we didn’t necessarily agree upon, but it was forced upon us because this was a coast-wide price and this price was also offered to Oregon as well, and Oregon decided to fish on this price which forced our hand. There’s a lot of frustration among the fleet – the price is so bad it’s almost not worth fishing for, but there are bills to pay and we have to get to work.”
The processors told West Coast fishermen the market for Dungeness crab is soft right now and they expect a good supply due to the health of the fishery, Ibach said. Some pushed for even lower prices, below USD 2.00 (EUR 1.85), he said.
“There is a chance the price may go lower, unfortunately,” Ibach said.
But in a market update, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada-based Tradex Seafoods said demand for Dungeness clusters is “hot.” The Dungeness seasons in Washington and some parts of Oregon has been further delayed to 1 February, has contributed to a scarcity of new-season whole Dungeness crab that is driving up prices.
“Our recommendation is to secure any inventories of clusters if you are in need of some for Lent,” it said.
In 2022, Oregon caught a total of 17.1 million pounds of Dungeness crab, Washington caught 15.3 million pounds, California caught 10.2 million pounds, and Alaska caught 6.5 million pounds, while fishermen in British Columbia, Canada, caught an estimated 20 million pounds. High prices led to catch records by value in several states, including Oregon, which achieved USD 74.5 million (EUR 66.5 million) in ex-vessel value.
Ryan Rogers, who owns Fisherman’s Market in Eugene, Oregon, said the delay in the season opener built up demand.
“When people start thinking crab, about half of are phone calls are in regard to crab,” he told KPIC. “Matter of fact, we have a phone tree, and one of the keys is press '2’ to find out the price and availability of crab.”
Dan Obradovich, the director of business development and the Dungeness crab category manager for Clackamas, Oregon, U.S.A.-based Pacific Seafood, told SeafoodSource in November 2022 a reversal in market conditions has led to a tanking of the price of Dungeness crab.
“Right now, the price for both snow and Dungeness crab is 50 percent of what it was last year. When you take a peek at the supply side, it doesn't really make sense, but the demand is just not there,” he said.
Obradovich pitched Dungeness crab as an alternative to other kinds of crab currently in short supply, including snow crab and king crab after the cancelation of the bulk of Alaska’s crab-fishing season.
Photo courtesy of Maxim Gorishniak/Shutterstock
