THE GOOD NEWS: the fall/winter recreational crabbing season opens today in North Olympic Peninsula marine areas 4 (Neah Bay, east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 12 (Hood Canal-North of Ayock Point).
In each open area, crabbing will be allowed seven days a week through Dec. 31.
The bad news concerns potential future impacts to Dungeness crab and juvenile chinook populations.
Crab harvest resumes after state Department of Fish and Wildlife fishery managers conduct assessments on population goals and catch-share agreements with tribal and commercial crab interests.
Sport crabbers are reminded that setting or pulling traps from a vessel is only allowed from one hour before official sunrise through one hour after official sunset.
The daily limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crabs, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6 1/4 inches.
Crabbers may also keep six red rock crabs of either sex per day with a minimum carapace width of 5 inches, and six Tanner crabs of either sex with a minimum carapace of 4½ inches.
A Puget Sound Dungeness crab endorsement is needed to legally harvest Dungeness crabs from Puget Sound.
All Dungeness crabs caught in the late-season recreational fishery must be recorded immediately on winter catch record cards, which are valid through Dec. 31.
Winter catch record cards are free to those with crab endorsements and are available at license vendors across the state.
Winter catch reports are due by Feb.1, 2021.
For more information on catch record cards, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-CrabCard20.
For more information and rules on crabbing, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-Crab Rules20.
Future crab, chinook impacts
A new model developed by the Skagit River System Cooperative predicts a bleak future for juvenile crab and chinook based on predicted effects of climate change, according to an article by the Northwest Treaty Tribes.
The model, developed in partnership with the Swinomish Tribe’s Fisheries Department, “makes evidence-based predictions about how shorelines will be altered by increased sea surface temperature, wave energy and sea level rise.”
It also can draw connections between vulnerabilities between species. In this case, “variability in Dungeness crab larvae survival may also influence the survival of juvenile chinook because research has shown crab larvae are an important prey resource to the juvenile salmon.”
The report, which includes a link to the model, is available at tinyurl.com/PDN-CrabChinook.
Another King-of-the-salmon found
A King-of-the-Salmon, a long, flat member of the ribbonfish family that lives in depths down to 3,000 feet, has washed up on a Strait of Juan de Fuca beach for the second time since June.
The silver fish can be found all along the Pacific Coast from the Gulf of Alaska to Chile and is revered in Makah tribal legend, which believe the fish would lead salmon back to their spawning ground every year and that killing such a fish would stop salmon runs from occurring.
Gig Harbor-based Harbor WildWatch encountered the first King-of-the-Salmon earlier this year after receiving a report of a “massive, dead creature” while conducting a virtual beach walk at Salt Creek Recreation Area in June.
This time around, a Canadian family discovered the King-of-the-Salmon fish earlier this month while beach walking at Whiffin Spit near Sooke, British Columbia, nearly directly across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Salt Creek.
Dana LeComte and her daughter Sadie were interviewed about their unusual find by our Canadian sister publication the Oak Bay News.
“It looked like a piece of metal from off a boat,” said LeComte. “The fish was very long and very flat with a really neat fin down the top of it.”
Her 15-year-old daughter Sadie had just pointed out something silver a few hundred meters away as the family walked along the popular Sooke spot.
It may be a good time to go on a beach walk on our side of the Strait looking for a King-of-the-Salmon as three other discoveries on Vancouver Island have occurred during the September-October time period since 2017.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladaily news.com.
