NOYO HARBOR, 2/9/21 — The Dungeness crab season is off to a pitiful start this year. Some crabbers pulled their gear out and threw the towel in just one day into the season.
However, scientists, seasoned crabbers, and even those new to the business all say that is to be expected — the crab fishery has a very cyclical nature. Some years bring in plentiful crabs and subsequently, money. Others, not so much. This year is definitely a ‘not so much’ year.
The decade leading up to this year brought a pretty steady and bountiful harvest of Dungeness crabs, so fisherpeople knew they were in for a bust year. But no one expected it to be as bad as it is and the slim pickings for Dungeness this season have left a lot of people hurting.
Down at Noyo Harbor Last Thursday, the weather was perfect. It was so warm and people were walking around in dresses and shorts, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. But the mood of the crabbers was grim.