Washington Puget Sound Dungeness Crab Pot/Trap Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries
U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.
Current Classification on the List of Fisheries
| Category | III |
|---|---|
| Estimated Number of Participants | 145 |
| Target Species | Dungeness crab |
| Applicable Take Reduction Plans | N/A |
| Observer Coverage | None |
| Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured | None documented |
^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.
*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).
1 Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.
Basis for Current Classification
Classified as a Category III fishery based on the no documented mortality or serious injuries of humpback whales in inland waters of Washington.
Distribution
The Category III WA Puget Sound Dungeness crab pot/trap fishery effort takes place in inland waters typically less than 20 fathoms (120 ft or 36.6 m) throughout the Salish Sea. Commercial Dungeness crab fishing is allowed in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, San Juan Islands, and northern Puget Sound to Point Edwards. Fishing is not allowed in central and southern Puget Sound. The fishery generally runs from October 1st through April 15th each year, although the duration of each season can vary depending on a number of factors.
Gear Description
Fishermen may use crab pots or crab ring nets; however, most participants use pots. Crab pots can have a maximum volume of 13 cubic feet (368.1 liters). The pots consist of two or more escape rings or ports of at least 4¼ inches (10.8 cm) inside diameter, located in the upper half of the pot. The pots are set individually and not connected to one another. Each pot is required to have a pot tag attached and a buoy tag attached to the buoy. Each pot tag must be permanently marked with the license owner’s name or license number and telephone number. The buoys may not be both red and white to ensure that commercial and recreational buoys can be distinguished (recreational crab buoys are white and red). Buoys used to mark pots have to be able to float at least 5 pounds (2.3 kg).
Management
The Puget Sound Dungeness crab pot/trap fishery is a limited entry fishery. Fishermen may hold more than one license, and current license holders may transfer an existing license to a new party. Up to three licenses can be stacked on a single designated vessel. Each Puget Sound Dungeness crab license has a maximum limit of 100 pots or ring nets. Individual areas within the Salish Sea have a maximum number of pots allowed per license. Puget Sound crab harvest is co-managed by the State of Washington and the Treaty Tribes.
Historical Information
| Original Category (Year added to the LOF) | III (1996) |
| Original Number of Participants | 1,478 |
| Basis for Original Classification | Listed as Category III based on the lack of documented mortality and serious injury of marine mammals based on the available data. |
| Past Names |
WA, OR, CA crab pot (until 2009) WA Dungeness crab pot/trap (until 2011) |
| Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) | None |
Timeline of Changes
| 2022 |
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| 2011 |
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