Dungeness crab season is expected to start next month and Bay Area residents may get the opportunity to purchase the shell fish fresh from the boats at Fisherman's Wharf, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The Port of San Francisco's proposal must first be approved to allow sales of Dungeness crab directly from commercial fishing boats. The proposal will be presented at the Port Commission on Tuesday, then voted on two weeks later. It the vote is approved, fisherman can start selling live whole crabs off their boats at Fisherman's Wharf immediately.
"For the first time people will be able to get crab from the wharf. They won't have to go all the way to Pillar Point," Randy Quezada, the port’s communications director told the paper.
Many restaurants have been closed in Fisherman's Wharf due to the pandemic, Quezada told the Chronicle that he hopes crab sales will "revitalize interest" in the wharf.
The Port of San Francisco has permitted direct sales for whole fish at the wharf since 2017 but not Dungeness crab due to the competition with vendors in the area selling cooked crab.
Quezada told the paper that including crab in the direct selling program will benefit the fisherman who have suffered from decreased sales because of the pandemic, the 2020 fire on Pier 45 that destroyed many fisherman’s gear and new state rules to protect whales from getting stuck in gear.
The fisherman supporting the proposal believe this is an opportunity for local residents to take advantage of fresh local seafood.
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