Crab fishermen and processors came to an agreement on the opening price for Dungeness crab only hours before today’s start of the season, said Nick Furman, director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.
But Furman said he couldn’t talk about the terms of the agreement until it is reviewed by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, a process that must happen within 48 hours.
The fishermen lost the 64-hour pre-soak – the window of time that permits them to set pots days ahead of the opening, without the pressure of immediately harvesting – when they opted to stay in port pending an agreement on price. The pre-soak is designed to make the fishery safer and more fair for smaller boats.
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