Crabbing season opens in some areas July 2

Puget Sound recreational crabbing areas will open at 7 a.m. July 2 for Marine Areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 South (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass to East Point), 8-2 (East Point to Possession Point), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon), and 12 (Hood Canal) will open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, plus the entire Labor Day weekend. There will be closure Sept. 1 for a catch assessment. These areas will reopen if recreational harvest quotas have not been met.

Sport crabbers in Puget Sound are required to record their Dungeness crab catch on two separate catch record cards – one for the summer season and one for the fall/winter season, said Rich Childers, WDFW shellfish policy coordinator.

Sport crabbers will again have the option of reporting their catch on the Internet or by mailing in their catch cards.

“Catch reports are an important tool in managing the Puget Sound crab fishery,” Childers said. “We need to hear from everyone – including those who didn’t catch any crab – because more data provides greater accuracy in estimating the catch and developing future fishing seasons.”

In addition to catch-card requirements, anyone fishing for crab in Puget Sound must purchase a $3 license endorsement, which is free to fishers under age 15, although dealer fees may apply. All fishers age 15 or older must also carry an applicable Washington fishing license.

The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day of at least five inches across. For more information, go to the WDFW Web site at wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm.

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