The season for snow crab, the taste of winter along the Sea of Japan, opened 6 November. Males will be caught until 20 March. The season for females closes at year-end.
Fishermen dropped dragnets off the coast at midnight and two hours later began hauling up live crabs, sizing them to a minimum of 20 cm across the carapace, and banding the claws. Dragnets work well here instead of pots, as the crabs inhabit the muddy ocean floor at a depth of 40 to 200 meters.
Most of the product is sold…
