Dungeness crab a hot commodity as fishing begins

With the opening of Dungeness crab fisheries along the U.S. West Coast, interest in the crustacean has picked up.

After two rounds of delays due to low meat yields and domoic acid, the Dungeness crab fishery opened in some areas of the U.S. state Oregon on 15 January, and boats began fishing on 17 January after extended negotiations between fishermen and processors resulted in the per-pound price being set at USD 2.25 (EUR 2.06). The first crab began coming into Oregon’s ports a few days later. 

In 2022, Oregon caught a total of 1.71 million pounds of Dungeness crab, Washington caught 15.3 million pounds, California caught 10.2 million pounds, and Alaska caught 6.5 million pounds, while fishermen in British Columbia, Canada, caught an estimated 20 million pounds. High prices led to catch records by value in several states, including Oregon, which achieved USD 74.5 million (EUR 66.5 million) in ex-vessel value.

Dan Obradovich, the director of business development and the Dungeness crab category manager for Clackamas, Oregon, U.S.A.-based Pacific Seafood, told SeafoodSource in November 2022 a reversal in market conditions has led to a tanking of the price of Dungeness crab ... 

Photo courtesy of Maxim Gorishniak/Shutterstock