Fishery: California Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister)
Last updated: 04 November 2005
Location:
California, from central California to the Oregon border, on the West Coast of the United States.
Fishing method:
Dungeness crabs are caught in baited circular steel traps commonly called 'pots', each attached to a buoy. Pots are fitted with openings for sub-legal sized crabs to escape through and a device that that opens the pots and allows crabs to escape in the event that pots are lost. The pots are set on the ocean floor following the contour of the adjacent coastline at depths of 60 to 600 feet. The crabs are sorted and kept alive on-board the vessel in circulated seawater until they are delivered to shore-side processing plants.
Management:
The California commercial fishery for Dungeness crab is managed as two areas: northern and central California with the Mendocino-Sonoma county line acting as the dividing line. The California Department of Fish & Game manages both fisheries with the “3-S” system, which refers to size, sex and season. The strategy underlying this system is to prevent females from being landed, thus maintaining female breeding capacity, and to set a size limit on males so that there is adequate opportunity for mating before entering the fishery. Only mature male crabs measuring at least 6 ¼ inches across the shell are harvested. The fishery is also controlled through limited entry permits.
Main commercial market:
Dungeness crabs are primarily shipped live to world markets, with the United States being the major market. Approximately 75 percent of the catch is sold as whole crab (live, fresh-cooked, or frozen) and the remainder is picked and vacuum packed.
Season:
The central California season is from 15 November to 30 June. The northern California season is from 1 December to 15 July.
Assessment details:
The assessment began in September 2005 and will take between 7 to 9 months. It will be coordinated with the assessment of Oregon Dungeness Crab.
Client:
Zeke Grader
Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations
P.O. Box 29370
San Francisco, CA 94129
USA
Tel. +1 (415) 561 5080
E-mail: ZGrader@ifrfish.org
Meredith Lopuch
WWF California Office
171 Forest Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
USA
Tel. +1 (650) 323 3538
E-mail: meredith.lopuch@wwfus.org
Certification Body:
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
2200 Powell Street
Suite 725
Emeryville,
CA 94608
U.S.A.
Tel: +1 650 969 1366
Fax: +1 650 969 4731
Contact: Dr Chet Chaffee
Email: chaffe3@attglobal.net
Website: www.scscertified.com
