Wednesday January 18, 2023
Oregon Public Broadcasting —
Dungeness crab is the most valuable single-species fishery commodity in Oregon. In the 2021-2022 season, fisherfolk harvested more than 17 million pounds of crab, bringing in an eye-popping $91.5 million.
But it’s not always like that. In fact, this year’s season opened six weeks later than anticipated, on Jan. 15. According to the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, average annual landings are around 16 million pounds. But recent harvests have fluctuated from a low of 3.2 million pounds all the way to a record high of 33 million pounds.
And the harvest could be facing additional challenges from the ongoing climate crisis.
Amanda Gladics is an Oregon Sea Grant associate professor of practice with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. Gladics spoke with OPB “All Things Considered” host Crystal Ligori about the fluctuations of the crabbing seasons and what the future holds for crabbing on the West Coast.