A price dispute between crab fisherman and processors appears close to ending, and fresh Dungeness crab may be available soon at Bay Area markets after a long hold up.
The commercial crab season opened just before Christmas, after weeks of delays over issues of whale entanglement in crab gear. Since then, Fisherman and processors have been unable to reach a price agreement.
"It is ultimately an individual business decision what the appropriate price threshold may be for a fisherman to go fishing," said Lori Steele, Executive Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association in Portland.
Steele told KCBS Radio that both rising fishing costs due to the pandemic and an abundance of frozen crab has made it hard to set prices that work for everyone. Much more gear is needed now than before, in order for fishers to adhere to new health and safety protocols.
"They need to buy health screening equipment and proper personal protective equipment, as well as shields that separate employees on the line, and hey also have to pay for quarantines and COVID-19 testing," he said.
Half Moon Bay crab fisherman Don Marshall said fisherman and processors are "very close" to a price agreement, and some fishers have already set their traps in hopes that they’ll be able to sell them soon.