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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 24, 2005 Ocean-crabbing opener pushed back Late molting of crabs triggers at least a two-week delay Outdoor Journal By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Late molting of Dungeness crab along much of the West Coast has triggered a delay in the ocean-crabbing opener for sport and commercial fishermen. The normal Dec. 1 opening for ocean crabbing will be delayed until at least Dec. 15 to give male crabs more opportunity to fill their new shells with meat, according to Patty Burke, manager of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Resources Program. However, sport crabbing in bays and estuaries will continue, Burke says. New tests between now and Dec. 15 will give crab-fishing managers in Oregon, Washington and California a better idea whether the Dungeness fill out to their normal high-quality selves by then. Though the closure targets commercial crabbers, past enforcement problems with commercial crabbers using loopholes in the sport-crabbing rules have enticed Oregon’s marine managers to extend the closure to sport crabbers. Advertisement In the past, some commercial crabbers loaded their boats with people who said they were sport-crabbing and dropping their pots "so they could secure real estate in the ocean" for the commercial opener, Burke says. "It’s probably better to keep everybody off the ocean so we don’t have to discriminate who is sport-fishing and who is commercial fishing," she says. Washington fishery managers, however, announced Wednesday that they will not delay the Dec. 1 sport-crabbing opener because sport crabbers target near- shore Dungeness that already have reached good condition. Commercial crabbing along the West Coast is managed through a tri-state process. The late crab molt was discovered in crabs caught for testing from Port Orford south and off the Columbia River mouth. Typically, it takes about two or three months for crabs to grow into their new shells after molting in late summer. Molting is the process by which crabs shed their shells. Considered delicacies among shellfish lovers, Dungeness crabs are a prime sport and commercial catch in Oregon. The sport limit is 12 male Dungeness per day, with a minimum shell size of 5¾ inches. All females and undersized males must be released unharmed. A shellfish license is required to attempt to catch crabs. The resident annual license is $6.50, while nonresidents can pay $9 for a three-day license or $16 for an annual license. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail Ocean-crabbing opener pushed back ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s